By Frank Ulom
Poland International and Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski has said the Icelandic volcano Grimsvotn which erupted in 2010 caused him not to join Blackburn Rovers.
There’s a popular saying which goes – “every disappointment is a blessing” – Lewandowski must have pondered on that when he missed the chance to join Sam Allardyce in England.
In an interview with Times Sport on Saturday, the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich striker said he wanted to know how Blackburn Rovers was, adding that the volcanic eruption changed his life.
“I had the opportunity to join Blackburn Rovers… but I wanted to see how Blackburn looked, the training ground.”
“I met with Sam Allardyce. It was in Poland after a game. I thought he was a good guy, a very good coach.
“Allardyce was prepared to take a young player who was something new and might be something special. He wanted to come to Poland to see me.
“There were a lot of offers to think about when I was leaving Poznan.
“I think it would have been fine if I had gone to Blackburn… I couldn’t go because of the cloud. It was the volcano (Icelandic volcano Grimsvotn erupted in 2010).
“It was one week and nobody could fly in Europe. The flight was booked, but we couldn’t leave. It changed my life. If I had gone to Blackburn maybe I would have stayed there,” Lewandowski said.
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Lewandowski has gone on to win several titles, including the German Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, La Liga, DFB Pokal, and others, including some personal accolades.
He was billed to win the 2020 Ballon d’Or be it not for the COVID-19 pandemic.