For most of the football world, there is a debate about who is currently better Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe? We are talking about two of the best young strikers at the moment, the ones who are projected to become the world’s greatest in the next 10 years. But, in the Bundesliga, the debate is between Haaland or Bayern’s legend Robert Lewandowski. ‘A disgrace’ – Muller apologises to Bayern fans for 5-0 cup thrashingAnd of course, for the former Bayern CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge, there is no debate – the Pole wins the battle. In his regular column for Bild, former Bavarians executive, who stepped down at the end of last season after 30 years in the club, explains the reasons for his decision without undermining Haaland at all. “In a few years, Haaland could have an advantage because of his age, but today Lewandowski is the benchmark. He’s the perfect center forward – especially for FC Bayern. Because Bayern stands for possession of the ball, for dominant football, where solutions have to be found in the smallest of spaces – and that’s what makes Lewandowski so essential for the club: He doesn’t need any space, he has his greatest strengths in the penalty area. He is fast, can dribble, has excellent technique and has an amazing goal rate, with which he sometimes even tops the great Gerd Müller. There is no striker, not even Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently at this level in the center of the attack and at the end of the goal. Robert not only stands in front and lurks, he helps shape the game. That is what sets him apart.(©AFP)Haaland, on the other hand, is a completely different player. The Norwegian lives primarily from his strength, his speed and of course his irrepressible ambition. If he doesn’t score, so the Dortmund report, the day is over for him. This mentality is in demand as a center forward, plus speed and power – a fantastic combination” wrote the German. The story of the world’s most expensive transfer fee for a single coach has been revealedIt is widely expected that Haaland will leave Dortmund in May 2022, and since Lewandowski’s contract expires in 2023, many are thinking that Bayern should bid for the Norwegian striker, to replace the aging Pole. Many, but not Rummenigge. “Why should they? Lewandowski can certainly play at the top level for a few more years, I don’t see any limits for him despite his age of 33. Cristiano Ronaldo is a wonderful example. When he moved from Real Madrid to Juventus Turin for over 100 million euros, many thought: Real is laughing up their sleeves, Ronaldo may be burned out and over the top. But CR7 has proven that he can continue to play at the highest level. He scored 101 goals in 134 competitive games for Juventus, is now enormously missing from the club and instead just keeps on scoring for Manchester United in the tried and tested manner … Ronaldo is 36 and will be 37 in February. This shows that if you really take care of your body, top performance is possible even at an advanced age. And like Ronaldo, Lewandowski also lives for his sport, for his body. It is no coincidence that Robert is almost never injured, especially no muscle injuries. This is the result of a highly professional way of life.Is it Switzerland national team? Is it M’gladbach? It’s Arsenal’s potential midfieldSince moving to FC Bayern in 2014, he has continued to develop. He is the current world footballer and he would have deserved the title again. I am convinced that FC Bayern knows what value Robert is. A contract extension beyond 2023 would therefore not surprise me. Because Lewandowski and Haaland in one team – I think that’s nonsense, it doesn’t work. Even the system would not do that: Since Louis van Gaal’s time, FC Bayern’s success has been based on a 4-2-3-1, with two wingers and a central tip. Haaland and Lewandowski cannot act together in this system. The player has to fit the system, not the other way around. In addition, Bayern Munich cannot invest on this scale every year, especially in Corona times, the club has to operate seriously” concluded Rummenigge.
