Was Lewandowski robbed?
By- Nabaarun Barooah
A footballing season already doomed by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic received another
shocker when France Football announced that the much coveted Ballon d’Or has been
cancelled. But what does that mean to the world of football?
A competition for the best footballer in the world which was much dominated by the duopoly of
Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the past decade, was only broken once, by Croatian star
midfielder Luka Modrić. However, 2019-20 finally looked like the time the global dominance of
the two all time greats was challenged by another worthy and serious competitor- Bayern
Munich’s striker extraordinaire Robert Lewandowski.
shocker when France Football announced that the much coveted Ballon d’Or has been
cancelled. But what does that mean to the world of football?
A competition for the best footballer in the world which was much dominated by the duopoly of
Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the past decade, was only broken once, by Croatian star
midfielder Luka Modrić. However, 2019-20 finally looked like the time the global dominance of
the two all time greats was challenged by another worthy and serious competitor- Bayern
Munich’s striker extraordinaire Robert Lewandowski.
With the replacement of Niko Kovač with Hans-Dieter Flick, Bayern Munich has been
rejuvenated from a 7th placed team to thrashing Chelsea 3-0 at home and securing the double
in Germany. A pivotal part of Bayern’s lethal attack has been their main man Robert
Lewandowski. The Polish international netted 34 goals in the Bundesliga becoming the highest
scoring non-German in a single season and has amassed an amazing total of 51 goals in all
competitions this season. Leading the European Golden Boot, despite the Bundesliga playing
less games than all other leagues, as well as the Champions League scoresheet with 11 goals,
it seems the striker is indeed unstoppable. With most renowned sports journalists and football
pundits already hailing Lewandowski as the favorite to win the competition, it seems unfair that
the trophy won’t be awarded this year.
rejuvenated from a 7th placed team to thrashing Chelsea 3-0 at home and securing the double
in Germany. A pivotal part of Bayern’s lethal attack has been their main man Robert
Lewandowski. The Polish international netted 34 goals in the Bundesliga becoming the highest
scoring non-German in a single season and has amassed an amazing total of 51 goals in all
competitions this season. Leading the European Golden Boot, despite the Bundesliga playing
less games than all other leagues, as well as the Champions League scoresheet with 11 goals,
it seems the striker is indeed unstoppable. With most renowned sports journalists and football
pundits already hailing Lewandowski as the favorite to win the competition, it seems unfair that
the trophy won’t be awarded this year.
But this isn’t definitely the first time. In 2012-13, French winger extraordinaire Franck Ribéry
spearheaded Jupp Heynckes’s Bayern to a historic treble. Yet the Ballon d’Or was awarded to
Cristiano Ronaldo, a decision that divided several footballing pundits. The very next season,
World Cup winner and Golden Glove recipient Manuel Neuer missed out on the same trophy to
the same player, leading the footballing community to introspect if anyone apart from the likes of
Messi and Ronaldo will ever be considered capable enough to lift the Ballon d’Or.
Their records stand testimony to the fact that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are indeed the
greatest footballers the world has ever seen, two giants of the game who not only dominated
Europe but defined an era in world football. However, the Coronavirus-doomed 2019-20 season
belonged to talisman Robert Lewandowski. The question now remains if he would be able to
work his miracle again next season to get close to the Ballon d’Or.
spearheaded Jupp Heynckes’s Bayern to a historic treble. Yet the Ballon d’Or was awarded to
Cristiano Ronaldo, a decision that divided several footballing pundits. The very next season,
World Cup winner and Golden Glove recipient Manuel Neuer missed out on the same trophy to
the same player, leading the footballing community to introspect if anyone apart from the likes of
Messi and Ronaldo will ever be considered capable enough to lift the Ballon d’Or.
Their records stand testimony to the fact that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are indeed the
greatest footballers the world has ever seen, two giants of the game who not only dominated
Europe but defined an era in world football. However, the Coronavirus-doomed 2019-20 season
belonged to talisman Robert Lewandowski. The question now remains if he would be able to
work his miracle again next season to get close to the Ballon d’Or.
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