Robert Lewandowski might be thousands of miles away in Chicago now, but his gaze is still fixed firmly on Barcelona – and on the man he believes can carry the weight he left behind.
The Polish striker has given an emphatic seal of approval to Barça’s decision to sign Spanish World Cup winner Rodri, describing the midfielder as exactly the kind of figure Hansi Flick needs to steady and lead a dressing room that suddenly lost one of its loudest voices this summer.
Lewandowski’s departure for Chicago Fire did more than free up a place in the starting XI. It stripped Flick’s squad of a veteran reference point, a player used to carrying pressure in the biggest moments. The new coach knew it. That is why he pushed hard for Rodri, identifying the former Man City anchor as the right man to assume responsibility in the heart of the team.
Speaking to Radio Marca, Lewandowski laid out, in simple terms, why the move makes so much sense.
“He’s a player who knows what the team needs, how to play going forward, but also how to contribute a little more in defence,” he said. “He's the kind of experienced player I think this team needs. He’s a player who has been performing at the highest level not just at the World Cup, but for many years now.”
That blend of tactical intelligence and consistency on the biggest stages is precisely what Barcelona have lacked in recent seasons when the game slows, the tension rises and the ball suddenly feels heavier. Rodri, in Lewandowski’s eyes, brings calm where others might rush, structure where others improvise.
While praising the new signing, the forward also allowed himself a look back at his own Barcelona chapter. He arrived from Bayern Munich in 2022 and, despite all the turbulence around the club, left with a glittering domestic record: three La Liga titles and a Pichichi trophy across a four-season spell that restored his reputation as one of Europe’s most ruthless finishers.
“It was a very special four years for me in Barcelona,” he reflected. “But there comes a time when you have to try something different and take a new step, and I’m very happy now.”
That “new step” is no minor adjustment. Swapping European nights for MLS travel and life in the United States is a seismic shift for a player who has spent his entire career in the game’s traditional powerhouses. The pace is different. The culture is different. The footballing rhythm changes.
Lewandowski knows it will take time.
“It’s normal [to need time], not only because I’m leaving Europe, but also because I’m moving to the United States,” he admitted, acknowledging the size of the transition as he settles into life in Chicago.
Yet even as he embraces that challenge, he is not cutting emotional ties with Catalonia. Far from it. The self-described “cold-hearted” competitor insists that, when it comes to Barcelona, he will always be watching, always ready to lend support from afar.
“I’m not a very emotional person, I’m more cold-hearted, but this is a moment when I’ll always be there to support and help FC Barcelona and my former team-mates,” he said. “I’m watching what’s happening now and I’m sure they’re going to win a lot of games.”
That confidence now rests heavily on Rodri’s shoulders. Flick will ask him to anchor the midfield, dictate tempo and quietly impose standards in a squad still balancing youth with expectation. If the Spaniard settles quickly and his leadership takes root, Barcelona’s recent domestic success may prove a foundation rather than a peak.
Lewandowski has left the Camp Nou behind. The responsibility he once carried has not. It has simply been passed to a new figure in the centre of the pitch, and Barcelona’s season may well hinge on how fully Rodri grows into that role.
