Robert Lewandowski has been awarded by President Andrzej Duda with the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. The captain of Poland's national team received the distinction for outstanding sport achievements and promoting his country in the world.
Football player Robert Lewandowski received an honour from the Polish president on Monday, giving the striker named Best FIFA Men's Player in 2020 another award for a trophy cabinet already containing Champions League and Bundesliga winner's medals.
Lewandowski, who last season won the German league and cup double plus the Champions League with Bayern Munich, received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta from his country's President Andrzej Duda.
The honour is conferred on military personnel and civilians for outstanding achievements in their fields. Lewandowski joins the first democratically elected president of Poland Lech Wałęsa and American President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a recipient.
Monday's ceremony was held in the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.
"I'm deeply honoured to receive such this distinction. I'm very proud. Football is a team sport, not individual, and so everything I've achieved, everything I've work for so hard, should also be credited to my coaches, teammates, staff, and family" - Lewandowski said, after accepting the award.
The 32-year-old said he remained focused on achieving further goals. "No matter how many trophies I have already won... right now my ambition is high and I don't want to rest on my success".
The skipper led Poland to Euro 2020 qualification and was also named the 2019-20 UEFA Men's Player of the Year.
"I'd like to thank all those who have been supporting me, who have helped me in achieving success" - Lewandowski added.
"Recently, I've been hearing about you a lot, and you said once that you never count your trophies because the moment you win them you already think about next ones. There are still three higher distinctions than the one you've received today. I'm certain you will achieve them, as you Sir are on a rising tide" - President Andrzej Duda said.
He praised Poland's skipper and Bayern striker for resilience and consistency, to which had added his huge talent. "This hasn't been a single-hit career" - he added.
Robert Lewandowski played his first game for Poland in 2008. So far, he has played a total of 116 times, scoring 63 goals - both being record figures. He will attempt to break his own records already this month as Poland will play three World Cup qualifiers: against Hungary in Budapest, against Andorra in Warsaw and against England at Wembley.
Last week Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called German Chancellor Angela Merkel to ask that Lewandowski and a Poland team mate be exempt from quarantine rules when re-entering Germany after a World Cup qualifier against England scheduled for March 31 at Wembley Stadium.
Lewandowski and Hertha Berlin's Krzysztof Piątek play for German clubs, who could have stopped them going to England for the match as that may have meant they would miss games with the Bundesliga teams when they returned due to quarantine rules.
The Polish Football Association later confirmed that both players will be allowed to go to England.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters PAP, eurosport.pl
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: eurosport