Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski may strike fear into the hearts of defenders across the continent, but he has not forgotten the man who helped thrust him to global stardom as a wide-eyed young hopeful: former Borussia Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp.
Lewandowski was almost 22 when he joined Klopp’s BVB in summer 2010 in what was his first spell outside his native Poland.
In his debut season in Germany he scored eight times in 33 Bundesliga outings – most of which came as a substitute in the closing stages of matches – en route to winning the 2010/11 Bundesliga title, but readily admits to difficulties adapting to his new surroundings.
“I joined Dortmund as a young player and initially it wasn’t easy,” he told Polish publication Prawda Futbolu. “Obviously Jürgen wasn’t my dad, but in different ways he sort of adopted that role. He was one of the main factors behind my development and he opened the door to the big wide world of football for me.”
Klopp kept faith in his young charge through the tough times, and Lewandowski eventually ousted Lucas Barrios as the go-to forward at the Signal Iduna Park before moving on to Bayern in July 2014.
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The following season proved to be Klopp’s last in Dortmund, and he took charge at Liverpool in October 2015.
“He’s got charisma and knows how to create the right atmosphere in a team,” Lewandowski continued. “On top of that, he’s able to find the right balance between fun and more serious criticism. He’s a coach you’d run through fire for.”