UEFA Men's Player of the Year nominee: the case for Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski is on the three-man shortlist for the 2019/20 UEFA Men's Player of the Year award alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Manuel Neuer. UEFA.com runs through the Bayern and Poland forward's achievements.

Jordan Maciel, UEFA.com Bayern reporter

The 2019/20 season was one of the greatest in Bayern's 120-year history, and no player contributed more to it than Lewandowski. The Poland striker scored in every game en route to the UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon, picking up 15 goals and six assists as well as trophy he has coveted for so long.

Two days before that 1-0 final win against Paris, he turned 32, but Bayern's talisman is showing no signs of slowing down after a career-best season. Is it possible he's getting better with age?

2019/20 in numbers

Achievements: UEFA Champions League winner, Bundesliga winner, German Cup winner, UEFA Champions League top scorer, UEFA Champions League top assist provider, Bundesliga top scorer, Bundesliga Player of the Season

UEFA Champions League
Appearances: 10
Goals: 15
Assists: 6

Domestic league
Appearances: 31
Goals: 34
Assists: 4

Top three moments

1. Was top scorer in all three of the competitions that Bayern won in 2019/20, hitting 34 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches, six in five German Cup games and 15 in his ten UEFA Champions League fixtures.

2. Reached some kind of goalscoring peak on 26 November 2019, striking four times in the space of 16 minutes of a 6-0 UEFA Champions League group stage win at Crvena zvezda – the fastest quadruple in the competition's history.

3. It was not his goal that finally got 'Lewangoalski' the UEFA Champions League winners' medal that he had been yearning for, but he played his part in the winner against Paris, Thilo Kehrer's decision to mark Lewandowski leaving Kingsley Coman space to finish.

What they say

"He works so hard for the team. He is important for our defence as he provides support and nothing needs to be said about how much danger he poses in front of goal. He is very professional and works extremely hard. He is the best central striker in the world."
Hansi Flick, Bayern coach

"I haven't seen a better player all year. He sacrifices so much for success and to me he absolutely deserves to be called the best footballer in the world."
Lothar Matthäus, former Bayern and Germany captain

"He is arguably the best professional I have ever come across here. His diet, his lifestyle… Everything is dedicated to success. The question is whether Robert at 35 will be even better than Cristiano Ronaldo at 35."
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern CEO