Lewandowski denies rift with Barcelona teammate Yamal

Warsaw, Nov 15 (IANS) FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski denied any tension between him and 16-year-old teammate Lamine Yamal, saying that "the Spanish press likes interpreting situations in their own way."

The relationship between the two players became a hot topic after Barcelona's 2-1 victory over Alaves on Sunday, when the Pole refused to shake hands with Yamal, reports Xinhua.

"There is nothing to comment on. It was a total coincidence. As for my relationship with Lamine, in the last match I talked to him many times, and gave him some advice. Sometimes saying or shouting something on the pitch is not unusual. There is no hidden agenda in the whole situation," Lewandowski told Polish press on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old responded to Spanish journalists after he was strongly criticized in Spain for his attitude towards Yamal. "I'm not worried about it. It's a trivial matter," the striker added.

Lewandowski had been absent for several weeks with an ankle injury, but recovered to score twice against Alaves.

"After my injury I got back to playing faster than expected and that's the most important thing. Physically, I have been feeling very good lately. Every goal makes me happy. But for me, calculations and statistics are not important. I hope that I will have opportunities, because then it is always easier to score goals," he concluded.

Lewandowski's Poland face the Czech Republic in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday.