Robert Lewandowski receives the Golden Boot 21-22

"Now I know why Barça is more than a club and it's something very important"

BARCELONA, Nov. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The FC Barcelona player Robert Lewandowski assured after receiving the Golden Boot as Europe's top scorer last week that he believes that the Blaugrana team will play "better" in the coming months and predicts a good 2023 for the group, he asked to be "patient " and, as for the award, he was "proud" to receive it and eager to revalidate it for the third time.

"We made some mistakes in the 'Champions' that you can't make, because they leave you out. It wasn't easy. We have to think positive and look forward. We're all working together, after the World Cup we'll come back with more confidence. You'll see, we'll play better. You can't change anything in a week or a month, you have to be patient," he assured after receiving the award.

In addition, he claimed to be "very happy" in Barcelona and "proud". "I am sure that next year will be very good. Now I know why Barcelona is more than a club and it is very important," he reiterated. "We are on the right track, what happened yesterday (comeback against Osasuna, 1-2) was good, they are games in which we show our desire to win," he celebrated. A game in which he was sent off, with two yellow cards, half an hour into the game.

As for the Golden Boot, he said he was very happy. "Thank you very much, I am very proud, I have worked very hard to achieve this award and thanks also to my former Bayern teammates," he acknowledged. And, on whether he will overtake Erling Haaland (Manchester City) in the race for the next Golden Boot, he was cautious. "The best thing for me is that the team wins, more than individual prizes or scoring goals. But I will try to repeat, although it will be difficult," he assured.

"For me it was easy to adapt due to the welcome from teammates and coaches, but there is a lot of work behind it. I have to keep working because the season is very long and when we return from the World Cup it will be 6 months. It is a great challenge for me and for the club to be able to be among the great teams," he said.

Lewandowski won the Golden Boot that accredits him as the top European scorer last season, for his good work at Bayern Munich. The Polish international scored 35 goals and added 70 points and surpassed PSG striker Kylian Mbappé (28 goals) and Lazio's Italian Ciro Immobile (27), with Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, 27) fourth in the table.

He received the award at the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm, in an act that started almost an hour late and was attended by a large Blaugrana delegation, with the president, Joan Laporta, leading the majority of the members of his Board Directive.

Their current coach, Xavi Hernández, the Barça Atlètic coach, Rafa Márquez, and a club legend like former captain Carles Puyol, among others, were also there. And, on video, he sent a celebratory message to his previous captain at Bayern, the German Thomas Müller. And Lewandowski got to see a selection of his best goals from last year.

It was Puyol, who regretted not having been able to play against the Polish striker, who assured from the platform, minutes before the Golden Boot was awarded, that Lewandowski is a "great player". "He is very complete and very difficult to score. We haven't played, luckily for me but also unfortunately because I liked playing against the best", he admitted.

"Robert is very complete, he goes up very well, he shoots very quickly and plays with his back. It would have been very difficult. It is fortunate that we have him in LaLiga and at FC Barcelona, ​​they did a great job to bring in a player of their quality with the delicate situation we have. He has adapted very quickly and is scoring many goals, I hope that next year we will be like this again with another Boot", predicted who was captain of FC Barcelona.

On the other hand, Puyol celebrated Tuesday's win against Osasuna at El Sadar (1-2). "It was a very hard-fought game, it got complicated but the team showed that it has character. A very important victory that leaves us leaders in the break and gives the team confidence," he said. And, facing the World Cup, he asked for prudence for Spain. "You have to go step by step. Hopefully they meet in the semis, it would be very good for the national team and for Robert's Poland (it could be a cross). But you have to go step by step," he warned.

The Polish international striker repeats as the best European striker of the year after previously winning the 2020-21 Golden Boot. Previously, the Italian Ciro Immobile (19-20) and the Argentine Leo Messi (from 2016 to 2019, being an FC Barcelona player) were the Golden Boot.

The Golden Boot is a trophy awarded by the European Sports Media (ESM), a sports media association made up of MARCA, La Gazzetta dello Sport, A Bola, Fanatik, Elf Voetball, De Telegraaf-Telesport, Kicker, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Sport- Express, Tipsbladet, World Soccer, Sportal, So Foot and Nemzeti Sport.