Bayern Munich don’t need Robert Lewandowski: Ottmar Hitzfeld

Robert Lewandowski of Dortmund during the first round of DFB Cup in a match against SV Wilhelmshaven 4 days ago. (Getty Images)

Former Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld feels that the club have no need for the services of Borussia Dortmund’s Polish striker Robert Lewandowski.

Under new coach Pep Guardiola, the Bavarians have been employing a ‘false nine’ system, akin to what Guardiola employed at Barcelona. And the former coach believes that Lewandowski would not fit into such a system. Mario Mandzukic too, who was a regular feature under old boss Jupp Heynckes, has found himself with limited opportunities in the pre-season games so far.

“Bayern do not need Lewandowski in normal circumstances. They already showed last season how strong they are,” Hitzfeld was quoted as saying by TZ.

“I really liked Mandzukic a lot. He fought himself into the team and brought a winner mentality with him. If Mandzukic is not going to play as a real No.9, then how is Lewandowski going to get playing time?”

“Lewandowski is a real No.9 as well, he’s no [Lionel] Messi. That’s what I’m wondering about. Do you really need Lewandowski in [Pep] Guardiola’s system…” Hitzfeld went on to add.

Lewandowski was widely tipped to follow in the footsteps of Mario Götze and join Bayern this summer, but the Dortmund board vetoed the move as they didn’t want two of their best players strengthening their rivals in the same season.

The Pole’s current contract runs till 2014 and Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp had come out and said a few months earlier, that the striker would be joining Bayern, but only next year.