Lewandowski's agent claims unfair treatment from refs

Ahead of Wednesday's DFB Pokal semi-final clash of the titans between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Robert Lewandowski's agent urged referees to protect his client.

Claiming the Bayern striker is fouled a disproportionate number of times when compared to his peers, Lewandowski's agent, Maik Barthel, has come to the aid of the Bundesliga's second-leading scorer.

"It's high time that referees took a closer look," Barthel told Sport Bild, courtesy of ESPN FC

With the Bavarian giant set to welcome rival Dortmund to the Allianz for the cup semi, Barthel noted that Lewandowski picked up a shoulder injury the last time these teams played each other on April 8.

That ailment forced Lewandowski to miss the first leg of Bayern's Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid, and Barthel, who is one of two agents representing the 26-goal forward, claims it's unwarranted.

"Robert is on the receiving end of harsh treatment like no other player in the Bundesliga," he said.

Barthel added that the lack of protection from referees extends beyond the fouls the 28-year-old suffers, and includes receiving an inordinate number of cautions.

"In contrast, he picks us a yellow card for just a trivial offence. It's hard to understand and disproportionate," Barthel said.

That assertion comes on the heels of a one-match suspension - for five yellow cards - that saw Lewandowski miss Bayern's league tilt with Bayer Leverkusen.