Lewandowski: Mental Fortitude Drives 70% of Elite Football Performance

Key Quotes

"I have to say that both. Which is more important mentally? I'm gonna say that it's 70%. What you need to be on the top, you know, not for one, two, or three years, but many years. Physically as well, because the football is changing. I think every five years that the football changes a lot."

Robert Lewandowski states that while both mental and physical attributes are crucial for sustained success in football, he attributes 70% of what's needed to be at the top for many years to the mental aspect. This highlights his belief in the primacy of mindset over physical prowess for long-term elite performance.

"When I see now the new generation, that the young talent players that I'm working out every day with, 17 years old players, 18 years old players, you know, and I'm 37 next year, I'm gonna be 38 years old guy, you know, as a football. But I see the huge difference. And I have to say, on the beginning, for me, when I joined to Barcelona, you know, from Germany, from Bayern Munich, that the club is on every level like perfectly. Also the mentality is different, you know, because we had more experienced players, more tough, you know, and I enjoy. When I enjoyed to Barcelona, I saw that so many young player, and I starting to be more, more tough for them."

Lewandowski observes a significant difference in mentality between younger generations of players and his own experience, particularly noting the contrast when he joined Barcelona. He explains that the club culture in Germany, where he previously played, fostered a tougher, more experienced mentality, which he found to be less prevalent among the younger players at Barcelona.

"I never listen people from outside. I mean, of course, sometimes it's good to listen the people from outside, but if you listen too much, like not only bad things, but also good things. Or, for example, I starting to see when I even read good things about me after the game, one, two, three games, for the next game, that makes me more weak. Really?"

Robert Lewandowski explains that he actively avoids listening to external opinions, even positive ones, because he believes they can weaken his focus and performance. He recounts that reading praise after a successful game made him feel less driven for the subsequent challenge, demonstrating his commitment to continuous improvement rather than resting on past achievements.

"I lost my father when I was 16 years old. And that was very tough for me, you know. I didn't, I didn't ready to be a man, you know. And one day, in one minute, I had to be the man in my family and in my life, you know. And nobody tell me how to be the man, you know. I had to try."

Lewandowski shares a pivotal moment in his life where the loss of his father at 16 forced him to mature rapidly and take on adult responsibilities without guidance. He emphasizes that this experience instilled in him a profound sense of self-reliance and the necessity of learning through trial and error.

"From one side, if you want to stay on the top for many years, 10, 15, like Cristiano, Leo, Messi, you know, you have to be strong mentally. If you are weak mentally for the long term, I think that it's gonna be difficult to stay on the top. Especially now, not only because of the money that you have in football, very in age of 18, 19 or 20 years old, you know, many years ago I have to work in few years to to get bigger money. Now it's I think much more easier. But also everything what you have on the social media, internet, that one day you are here and the next day you are on the ground."

Robert Lewandowski highlights the increased mental fortitude required to maintain elite status in modern football, especially with the pervasive influence of social media. He contrasts this with his earlier career, suggesting that while financial rewards are now more accessible to young players, the constant scrutiny and volatility of online platforms present a significant challenge to long-term mental resilience.

"For me, the most important things that's why even that I choose to do something, I choose it because of the psychology things that can help me, not opposite side. Even that so many people don't understood this."

Lewandowski emphasizes that his decision-making process, both in football and in life, is primarily guided by psychological considerations. He states that he chooses paths that will benefit his mental well-being, even if these choices are not always understood by others, underscoring the central role of psychology in his approach.