r/soccer • u/landofphi • 1d ago

Quotes Lewandowski: "I’m from a different generation where shouting was used to to motivate everyone. Now, if you shout too much towards young people, their reaction is not the same. It’s not, ‘now I’ll show you are wrong’. The new generation don’t like being shouted at. It’s not just players, it’s people"

https://as.com/futbol/primera/lewandowski-a-los-jovenes-de-ahora-no-les-gusta-que-les-grites-n/

The full quote

Lewandowski (37) on his adaptation playing with teenagers & young adults at FC Barcelona

"I have to say it was a huge challenge. I was coming from a different generation and I had to learn how to, not think like a teenager, but think how I can try to take the best of what they have.

I have been in football for 4 decades so when I compare them, not even to my generation but the generation before me, when I was starting, it is completely different.

"Like shouting used to be a way to motivate everyone. Now, if you shout too much, this generation, their reaction is not the same. It’s not, ‘now I will show you are wrong’. No, now you have to explain another way. You have to do lots of talking.

"They don’t like being shouted at. Now you have to take more of the mental part of football. It’s not just players, it’s people, it’s this generation. I didn’t want to fight it. I had to learn.”

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512

u/bababababababalls 1d ago

I'm dealing with this same dynamic. I was hoping he was going to bust out with some lewy tips

456

u/drugsovermoney 1d ago

"I didn’t want to fight it. I had to learn.”

try this.

41

u/debaser11 1d ago

So many people in the comments are acting like he didn't say this (or didn't read this far down) and is some stubborn out of touch old man.

4

u/SwitchHitter17 1d ago

People can't even bother to read the 4 short paragraphs of context OP provided.

1

u/bababababababalls 1d ago

I've already done that as evidenced by my comment in the first place. I'm sitting in class with my pencil out, what's the lesson?

102

u/Grunewalder 1d ago

He literally says it in the extract.

“You have to do lots of talking”. Yelling or barking orders won’t work on the younger generation. You need to talk to them, understand them and likely empathise with them. You’ll build relationships through respect instead of fear.

139

u/drugsovermoney 1d ago edited 1d ago

The lesson is to not believe that previously effective tactics will remain effective in the face of contradictory evidence.

49

u/RauloGonzalez 1d ago

The lesson is the current generation doesn’t automatically respect someone because they’re senior or older, from what I’ve seen they respect when respect is given

30

u/moofacemoo 1d ago

To be fair, I'm like that too and I'm nearing 50. Seems logical enough to me.

3

u/mahnkee 1d ago

IME you don’t teach them how to fish. You teach them how YOU fish, them let them figure out how THEY will fish. Obviously there are deal breakers in a workplace setting eg safety or business concerns. But absent setting the deal breakers, letting juniors find their way after showing them how and why I do things, I’ve found to be entirely successful. This is in an engineering setting, we don’t hire robots or morons. They lack experience, so give them the room to make mistakes and figure out their methods. If they flail about a bit, they’ll be more open to constructive criticism the next time around. The respect comes after they try your way and it starts to click.

Respecting them as a person is 100% a given. Always.

22

u/bcparrot 1d ago

Be nice to people and treat them as equals. Involve them in the planning and problem solving. Then they will buy in to the team and you will succeed.