Lukas Podolski
Podolski playing for Górnik Zabrze in 2023
Personal information
Full name Lukas Josef Podolski[1]
Birth name Łukasz Józef Podolski[2]
Date of birth (1985-06-04) 4 June 1985
Place of birth Gliwice, Poland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Position(s) Forward, attacking midfielder[4]
Team information
Current team
 Górnik Zabrze
Number 10
Youth career
1991–1995 FC 07 Bergheim
1995–2003 1. FC Köln
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 1. FC Köln II 2 (0)
2003–2006 1. FC Köln 81 (46)
2006–2009 Bayern Munich 71 (15)
2007–2008 Bayern Munich II 2 (0)
2009–2012 1. FC Köln 88 (33)
2012–2015 Arsenal 60 (19)
2015 → Inter Milan (loan) 17 (1)
2015–2017 Galatasaray 56 (20)
2017–2020 Vissel Kobe 52 (15)
2020–2021 Antalyaspor 40 (6)
2021– Górnik Zabrze 69 (17)
International career
2001–2002 Germany U17 6 (2)
2002–2003 Germany U18 7 (4)
2003 Germany U19 3 (6)
2004 Germany U21 5 (0)
2004–2017 Germany 130 (49)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Germany
FIFA World Cup
Winner2014
Third place2010
Third place2006
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up2008
Third place2012
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third place2005
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 16 December 2023 (UTC)

Lukas Josef Podolski (German pronunciation: [ˈluːkas poˈdɔlski]; born Łukasz Józef Podolski, Polish pronunciation: [ˈwukaʂ pɔˈdɔlskʲi], on 4 June 1985) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ekstraklasa club Górnik Zabrze. He is known for his powerful and accurate left foot, explosive shooting, technique and probing attacks from the left side.[5]

Born in Gliwice, Poland, Podolski joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he made it into the first team in 2003 resulting in 81 appearances for the club before moving to Bayern Munich. With Bayern, Podolski won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2008. Podolski returned to 1. FC Köln in 2009. He later signed for Premier League club Arsenal in 2012, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2014. He then moved on loan to Serie A club Inter Milan in January 2015, before signing six months later for Galatasaray where he also won the Turkish Cup of 2016.[6]

Podolski was eligible to play for Germany and Poland; he was open to playing for the Polish team but was rejected by then Polish coach Paweł Janas in 2003,[7] having already appeared for Germany at youth level. After making his first appearance for the senior team in 2004, Podolski enjoyed great success with the Germany national team.[8] He was part of the squad in seven major tournaments, winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He is the third most-capped player in German history, with 130 caps, and the third-highest goalscorer in German history, having scored 49 times.[6][9]

On 29 May 2013, Podolski scored the fastest goal in Germany national team history, after just nine seconds of the 4–2 friendly win over Ecuador. It was at that time the second fastest international goal in history, second only to San Marino's Davide Gualtieri's 8.3-second strike against England in 1993.[10][11] Podolski retired from international football on 22 March 2017 after scoring the winner in a friendly against England.[9]

Club career

1. FC Köln

Podolski playing for Köln in 2006

Podolski began playing football at the age of six in the youth team of FC 07 Bergheim, where he played until he joined 1. FC Köln at the age of ten. It was there that Podolski's talents were first noticed. In 2003, at the age of 18, Podolski was still part of the club's youth side. At this time the club found itself in dire straits battling to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga. First team boss Marcel Koller, working on a shoestring budget, invited Podolski to train with the senior players and he made his top flight debut shortly afterwards on 22 November 2003. Even though Köln failed to avoid a drop to the 2nd division, Podolski had shown what he could do, scoring 10 goals in his first 19 senior appearances.[12] This was the best tally by an 18-year-old in the history of the Bundesliga until Florian Wirtz overtook the record in 2021.[13]

Though his call up to the German Euro 2004 squad brought along interest from several top clubs, Podolski stayed at Köln to help the club gain promotion in the 2004–05 season. With 24 goals, Podolski advanced to become the league's best scorer. Somewhat unusually, Podolski remained part of the Germany squad, even though he did not play in the national top-tier league.

After Köln were promoted, the pressure was on Podolski to keep the club in the Bundesliga practically singlehandedly. Podolski managed to score 12 goals in the 2005–06 season, but eventually, Köln were relegated again. It became clear that Podolski would not stay again to push them through the 2006–07 season—even more so, as Podolski was becoming an integral part of the national team.

FC Bayern Munich

In 2006, clubs such as Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen, and Real Madrid manifested their interest in Podolski, even though he had a contract with 1. FC Köln through 2007. On 1 June 2006, Podolski announced that a transfer agreement had been reached with Bayern Munich, allowing him to join the Bavarian side for the 2006–07 season. Financial details of the deal were not immediately available, but the transfer fee was speculated to be around €10 million. He made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern on 11 August 2006, coming on as a substitute in the 88th minute of a 2–0 victory against Borussia Dortmund. On 9 September 2006, he came on as a second-half substitute in a DFB-Pokal game versus FC St. Pauli. Only 26 seconds after the second half started, he scored the equaliser, levelling the match at 1–1. On 14 October 2006, with his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern, Podolski helped to secure the club's 4–2 win over Hertha BSC. On 26 October 2006, Podolski suffered a serious injury to his right ankle joint caused by teammate, Mark van Bommel, during a training session. Consequently, Podolski missed more than five match weeks. He returned from this injury and scored against Alemannia Aachen.

After Bayern bought in Italian striker Luca Toni in 2007, Podolski received less playing time due to coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's preference to partner Miroslav Klose and Toni together instead. However, Bayern ended the 2007–08 season by winning a league and cup double, giving Podolski the first major silverware of his career.

Despite former national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann taking charge of Bayern for the 2008–09 season, Podolski again failed to break into the team's regular first choice line-up. After a rather unhappy spell at Bayern, he returned to former club Köln on 1 July 2009.[14]

Return to 1. FC Köln

After Podolski was assured by national team coach Joachim Löw that a return to FC Köln would not harm his chances of international football, an agreement to sign him was agreed between Bayern Munich and Köln in January 2009, although he would not return to Köln until the start of the summer transfer window. On 1 July, Podolski returned to Köln on a four-year contract, at a reported fee of around €10 million, equivalent to the fee Bayern paid to sign him in 2006.[15][16] Köln created a website where people were able to buy pixels of an image of Podolski for €25 per 8x8 pixel square, in order to gather €1 million to reduce the cost of the transfer;[17][18] Formula One driver and Köln supporter Michael Schumacher bought several pixels for €875.[19]

Having just moved from Bayern Munich, Podolski had a poor first season at Köln, scoring just three times the entire season. One of his goals however, came from a free kick against his former club to salvage a draw.

In the 2010–11 season, Podolski scored his 50th Bundesliga goal in the match against Hannover 96 in March 2011. Throughout the entire season, Podolski scored 13 goals and made seven assists.

The 2011–12 season was the final season in his second spell for Köln. Despite the team's relegation to the 2. Bundesliga, Podolski scored 18 goals in 29 league Bundesliga appearances.

Out of respect for his loyalty and achievements for the club, 1. FC Köln chose to retire his famous No. 10 shirt as long as he is an active football player.[20] However, Köln began assigning the number 10 shirt again at the start of the 2014–15 Bundesliga season.[21]

Arsenal

2012–13 season

Podolski on his Premier League debut against Sunderland on 18 August 2012

Podolski was linked with Premier League club Arsenal throughout the 2012 winter transfer window but no deal materialised. However, on 30 April 2012, it was officially announced that Podolski had signed for Arsenal on a long-term deal, for an undisclosed fee.[22] On 12 August 2012, Podolski started for Arsenal in a pre-season match against his former club, Köln, scoring twice, once from a penalty in a 4–0 victory.[23] Podolski took the number 9 from Park Chu-Young, who had been loaned out to Celta Vigo, after the number 10 shirt vacated by Robin van Persie was given to Jack Wilshere.[24][25] Podolski then started in his first official match for Arsenal against Sunderland on the opening day of the Premier League on 18 August 2012. He played 63 minutes before being subbed off for another 2012 summer signing, Olivier Giroud, in the match which finished 0–0.[26] He scored his first goal for Arsenal on 2 September in a 2–0 win against Liverpool at Anfield whilst also providing the assist for Santi Cazorla to score his first for the Gunners.[27] Podolski scored his second goal for Arsenal in the following game, scoring a free-kick from 25 yards in a 6–1 victory against Southampton.[28]

On 18 September 2012, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for the Gunners in a 2–1 away win against Montpellier.[29] In Arsenal's second game in the Champions League, Podolski scored again as Arsenal defeated Greek champions Olympiacos 3–1 on 3 October.[30] Podolski then scored his first goal in more than a month against Fulham in a thrilling 3–3 draw.[31] On 17 November, Podolski scored his fourth League goal as Arsenal defeated Tottenham 5–2 in the North London derby.[32] He then helped Arsenal qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League by scoring the second goal as Arsenal beat Montpellier 2–0.[33] Podolski then played a pivotal part in an impressive 5–2 win away from home against Reading at the Madejski Stadium, scoring the first goal and assisting 2 more, which had helped teammate Santi Cazorla to score his first ever hat-trick. On 30 December 2012, Podolski played an integral part of the team that beat Newcastle 7–3. His first contribution was an incisive pass to Theo Walcott for Arsenal's first goal. In addition, due to Newcastle's failure to clear the ball off their line, Podolski pounced on a header for his last goal of 2012. He was substituted for Aaron Ramsey to a standing ovation.[34] On 23 January 2013, Podolski produced an impressive performance as Arsenal beat West Ham 5–1, scoring one goal and setting up three others. On 2 February 2013, Podolski scored the only goal via a deflected free-kick to earn the Gunners a 1–0 victory over Stoke City.[35] On 13 April, Podolski sealed a 3–1 win over Norwich City by scoring his first goal since February.[36] After Giroud's three-game ban appeal was rejected,[37] Podolski began playing as a centre forward, starting with the 1–1 draw against Manchester United.[38][39] Podolski then scored twice in a 4–1 victory over Wigan Athletic, resulting in Wigan's relegation from the Premier League.[40] Podolski ended his first season in Arsenal with a total of 16 goals and 11 assists.

2013–14 season

Podolski warming up with Serge Gnabry before their Premier League match against Sunderland in 2014

On 24 August 2013, Podolski netted his first goals of the 2013–14 season, scoring twice for Arsenal away at Fulham in a 3–1 win.[41] However, he was injured in his next match in the Champions League qualifier against Fenerbahçe and was ruled out for 10 weeks.[42] Podolski returned for Arsenal against West Ham United in a 3–1 win on Boxing Day, scoring the team's third goal in the 79th minute.[43] Podolski netted his first two goals in 2014 with a brace in a 4–0 FA Cup fourth round win over Coventry City.[44] He later scored in a 2–1 FA Cup win over Liverpool in February to send Arsenal through to the quarter-finals of the competition.[45]

Podolski scored two goals in March as he began to feature more regularly in the Gunners starting line-up. His first was a goal against his former club, FC Bayern Munich, in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 tie. Podolski's goal proved nothing more than a consolation, as Arsenal crashed out of Europe, losing 3–1 on aggregate to the defending champions.

His second goal in March was an equaliser against Swansea City in the Premier League clash. A minute after scoring, Podolski provided an assist for teammate Olivier Giroud, who gave Arsenal a 2–1 lead. However, a last minute own goal by Mathieu Flamini meant the game finished 2–2 and effectively ended Arsenal's hopes of lifting the Premier League title for another season.

Arsenal qualified for the FA Cup final on 12 April following a win against Wigan, in which Podolski was substituted after 68 minutes. He scored twice in Arsenal's next game, a 3–1 win against West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium and followed that display up with another brace in Arsenal's next game, a 3–0 win away to Hull City. He started in the 2014 FA Cup Final against Hull City and left the pitch for Yaya Sanogo after 61 minutes as Hull led Arsenal 1–2. Arsenal went on to win the game 3–2 after extra time, thereby ending the club's nine-year trophy drought.[46]

2014–15 season

After winning the World Cup for Germany, Podolski and compatriots Per Mertesacker and Mesut Özil were excused by Arsenal from the 2014 Community Shield, which they won 3–0 against Manchester City.[47]

In November, Podolski spoke about his unrest with his current role with Arsenal and his lack of game time, saying: "Of course I am not happy with my situation right now. I can't be satisfied with that. It is hard when you can't do what you love."[48]

Inter Milan (loan)

On 5 January 2015, Arsenal announced that Podolski had completed a move to Serie A club Inter Milan on loan for the remainder of the 2014–15 season.[49] He joined the side for training after the deal was finalised ahead of their league match away to Juventus on 6 January.[50] In the 1–1 draw at the Juventus Stadium, he came on as a substitute for Zdravko Kuzmanović after 54 minutes.[51] Podolski was not named in Inter's squad list for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League with coach Roberto Mancini preferring Xherdan Shaqiri over the German international.[52] On 28 April 2015, Podolski scored his only goal with Inter to win the match 2–1 in the 65th minute against Udinese.[53]

Galatasaray

Podolski's Galatasaray shirt, on display with the Süper Lig and Turkish Cup

Podolski signed a three-year contract with Turkish club Galatasaray on 4 July 2015 for an initial fee of £1.8 million, after which the Süper Lig champions will pay Arsenal £2.1 million for three consecutive seasons thereafter.[54][55] He instantly won the Turkish Super Cup.[56] In the final of the Turkish Cup on 26 May 2016, he scored the decisive goal for Galatasaray in the 1–0 win over Fenerbahçe.[57]

Vissel Kobe

Podolski playing for Vissel Kobe in 2017

On 2 March 2017, Podolski announced his transfer to Japanese club Vissel Kobe after the completion of the Turkish season.[58] On 29 July 2017, he played his first match for Vissel Kobe and scored two goals in a 3–1 win over Omiya Ardija in the J1 League.[59] On 11 August 2018, he assisted Andrés Iniesta's first goal in the J1 League in a 2–1 win over Jubilo Iwata.[60]

On 8 December 2019, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Júbilo Iwata.[61] It was his first hat-trick in the J1 League.[61]

On 1 January 2020, Podolski won his first trophy in Japan, starting in Vissel Kobe's 2–0 victory over Kashima Antlers in the final of the 2019 Emperor's Cup;[62] it was also the club's first ever major trophy.[63]

Antalyaspor

On 23 January 2020, Podolski joined Antalyaspor on a one-and-a-half-year contract.[64]

Górnik Zabrze

On 6 July 2021, Podolski was announced by the Ekstraklasa club Górnik Zabrze,[65] having signed a one-year contract that comes with the option of another year,[66] and with the club being probably his last club before retiring, after stating it's his dream to finish his footballing career playing for Górnik.[67] He made his debut on 30 July, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 league home defeat against Lech Poznań at the Arena Zabrze.[68] On 21 November 2021, he scored his first goal for Górnik Zabrze, in the Ekstraklasa home fixture against Legia Warsaw 3–2.[69]

On 19 May 2022, Podolski agreed to a one-year contract extension.[70] On 5 November 2022, he scored a goal from inside his own half in a 4–1 away win against Pogoń Szczecin.[71] On 19 May 2023, he extended his Górnik contract until 2025.[72]

International career

Podolski in action for Germany in 2009
Podolski warming up before a Germany match in 2011

International debut and breakthrough

In late 2003, after several impressive performances in his first few Bundesliga games, Polish media suggested then-Poland national team coach Paweł Janas should check Podolski out, as he was still eligible to play for Poland. Janas ignored the request stating in one of the press interviews that "as for today we have much better strikers in Poland and I don't see a reason to call up a player just because he played one or two good matches in the Bundesliga. He's not even a regular starter at his club." By that time Podolski was still interested in representing Poland, but as the season progressed German media increasingly highlighted his performances to suggest he should be called up to the Germany national team. When his full potential was finally unveiled, he had already decided to represent Germany. At the end of the season Köln were relegated, but Podolski impressed so much, that he held his debut for Rudi Völler's Germany on 6 June 2004, at age 19, in Kaiserslautern against Hungary with a late substitute appearance. He had become the first second-division player since 1975 to break into the national team.

Euro 2004

Podolski played for Germany at Euro 2004, where he was the squad's youngest player. He made one substitute appearance in the game against the Czech Republic, when he came on for Torsten Frings at half-time.

2006 World Cup

Podolski was selected in the Germany squad for the 2006 World Cup, where he partnered Miroslav Klose as the attack duo in the starting lineup. He scored his first World Cup goal in Germany's third group match against Ecuador, and both goals in the 2–0 win over Sweden in the round of 16. He became the first player since 1962 to score two goals in the first 12 minutes of a World Cup match and only the third player ever to accomplish the feat. Germany finished third in the tournament, and while his teammate Miroslav Klose won the Golden Boot competition, Podolski's three goals tied him for second place with Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Maxi Rodríguez, Hernán Crespo and Zinedine Zidane. Podolski was named the World Cup's Best Young Player ahead of players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

UEFA Euro 2008

In a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying game against San Marino in Serravalle Podolski netted four goals in Germany's record 13–0 thrashing. He is one of only four German players to score four goals in an international match. He was the third after Gerd Müller and Michael Ballack, and since this, Mario Gómez has accomplished this feat. In Germany's 4–1 win against Slovakia in Bratislava on 11 October 2006, he scored the first and the last German goal, both on assists by Miroslav Klose. He has continued to score goals at an astonishing rate. On 17 November 2007, in a Euro qualifier match against Cyprus, Podolski was involved in every goal in Germany's 4–0 victory. This was one of Podolski's best performances for the national team. Even though he played out of his natural position, playing at left midfield, he netted one goal himself and was voted Man of the Match.

On 8 June 2008, Podolski made his Euro 2008 entrance against debutants Poland in a Group B match in Klagenfurt, Austria. He scored both goals in a 2–0 victory. He avoided celebrating his goals, however, to show respect for his country of birth. After the game he gave an emotional interview on Polish television. The goals put him in the lead in the Euro 2008 goal-scoring list for two days until David Villa scored a hat-trick for Spain against Russia.[73]

On 12 June, Germany played Croatia in their second Group B match, again in Klagenfurt. Podolski scored the German team's only goal of the game in the 79th minute, by which time the Croatians were already leading 2–0. He did not celebrate this goal either despite it putting him joint first on the Euro 2008 goal-scoring list with David Villa. Podolski's goal was not enough to snatch a draw, with Croatia holding out for a 2–1 victory over Germany.[74] On 19 June, Germany played Portugal in the quarterfinal in Basel, Podolski was instrumental in the first goal, whipping a cross into the penalty box that was slotted home by Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 22nd minute to give Germany a 1–0 lead.

On the international scene, Podolski seemed to be gravitating towards an attacking left midfield role from his traditional place as a striker. Initially, Löw had moved him to the wing in order to accommodate the partnership of Klose and Mario Gómez up front. When this backfired, he resumed his forward position in the UEFA Euro 2008 Final, but was unable to prevent Germany losing 1–0 to Spain. In a controversial incident, Podolski was headbutted by Spanish midfielder David Silva, although this went unnoticed by the referee and his assistants, and went unpenalised.[75] Podolski was named in the 23-man squad as one of the players of the tournament along with countrymen Michael Ballack and Philipp Lahm.

2010 World Cup

On 6 September 2008, Podolski scored the opening two goals in Germany's first 2010 World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein in Vaduz; a match that ended in a 6–0 victory for the Germans. He scored the opener in the 2–1 home win over Russia on 11 October, when he turned Vasili Berezutski on the edge of the penalty area, before unleashing a powerful shot past Russia's goalkeeper Akinfeev. He finished the qualification campaign second highest scorer of Group 4 with six goals, behind teammate Miroslav Klose's 7. During one of the qualifying matches, he was involved in a bust-up with team captain Michael Ballack.

On 13 June 2010, Podolski, who had become accustomed to his position as a winger scored the first goal in Germany's World Cup opening game in a 4–0 win against Australia, before assisting teammate Thomas Müller for the third goal. On 18 June, Podolski missed a second-half penalty after a handling infraction committed by Nemanja Vidić in the 1–0 loss to Serbia. The German team had gone down to 10-men after a second yellow was shown to Miroslav Klose in the 36th minute. Even though the Germans played with 10-men throughout the rest of the game, Podolski had numerous chances on goal. However, he was unable to capitalize, and the game ended in a surprise defeat for the Germans. However, he managed to score against England in the last 16, giving Germany a 2–0 advantage in the first half. They went on to beat England 4–1.[76] In the quarter-final against Argentina, Podolski provided the assist for the first of Klose's two goals, bringing the score to 2–0. The Germans won the match 4–0.[77]

Euro 2012

Podolski playing for Germany at Euro 2012

During qualification, Podolski provided assists for three goals and scored three times, helping Germany to win all ten matches of their qualification campaign. During Euro 2012, Podolski started all three of Germany's Group B games, the third being his 100th appearance for Germany; a game in which he also scored. Podolski's last game at Euro 2012 was the successful Italy national team in the semi-finals against Germany, 2–1.

2014 World Cup

Podolski was part of Germany's 2014 World Cup campaign. Prior to the tournament, he played in five qualification matches. In the World Cup finals in Brazil, he appeared in the victories over USA and Portugal in the group stages, but did not play the full 90 minutes.[78] Germany went on to become World Champions.

Euro 2016 and retirement

Podolski was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He made a substitute appearance against Slovakia during the tournament. After the tournament, on 15 August, he announced his retirement from international football (effective 23 March 2017) saying he wants to shift his focus and spend more time with his family.[79] He was given his last ever international appearance for Germany against England on 22 March 2017 where he scored the winning goal.[80][81]

Style of play

Podolski possesses an explosive and accurate shot, reaching speeds of nearly 100 mph (160 km/h).[82] Arsene Wenger described Podolski saying "He's certainly one of the best finishers I've ever seen...If there's one you want to see in front of the goal in a shooting position, it's him".[83] In his early years, Podolski possessed explosive speed with great acceleration which was later affected by some lengthy injuries. He usually cuts inside either to shoot or pass the ball. Podolski is a physically strong player able to hold up the ball and produce key passes. Podolski has good dribbling and technical skills and is also a good crosser of the ball having set up many goals for his teammates from the left side. He is a penalty specialist, having missed only two penalties in his career.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 16 December 2023[84][85]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental[lower-alpha 3] Other[lower-alpha 4] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1. FC Köln II 2002–03 Regionalliga Nord 10————10
2003–04 Regionalliga Nord 10————10
Total 200000000020
1. FC Köln 2003–04 Bundesliga 191010———2010
2004–05 2. Bundesliga 302425———3229
2005–06 Bundesliga 321210———3312
Total 8146450000008551
Bayern Munich 2006–07 Bundesliga 224322071—347
2007–08 Bundesliga 2554000125—4110
2008–09 Bundesliga 24631—42—319
Total 7115103202380010626
Bayern Munich II 2007–08 Regionalliga Süd 20————20
1. FC Köln 2009–10 Bundesliga 27241———313
2010–11 Bundesliga 321321———3414
2011–12 Bundesliga 291820———3118
Total 8833820000009635
Arsenal 2012–13 Premier League 3311211064—4216
2013–14 Premier League 208430031—2712
2014–15 Premier League 70001053—133
Total 60196420148008231
Inter Milan (loan) 2014–15 Serie A 17110———181
Galatasaray 2015–16 Süper Lig 301342—82104317
2016–17 Süper Lig 267510——103217
Total 56209120082207534
Vissel Kobe 2017 J1 League 1551020——185
2018 J1 League 2451012——267
2019 J1 League 1353000——165
Total 5215503200006017
Antalyaspor 2019–20 Süper Lig 9220———112
2020–21 Süper Lig 31451———365
Total 40671000000477
Górnik Zabrze 2021–22 Ekstraklasa 27930———309
2022–23 Ekstraklasa 29622———318
2023–24 Ekstraklasa 13220———152
Total 6917720000007619
Career total 538171572972451820649220

International

Podolski battling for the ball with Nani in their Euro 2012 group stage match
Appearances and goals by national team and year[86][87]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Germany 200482
2005128
20061712
200772
2008167
200996
2010145
2011121
2012111
201352
2014101
201551
201630
201711
Total13049
Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Podolski goal.
List of international goals scored by Lukas Podolski
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 21 December 2004Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Thailand3–15–1Friendly
25–1
326 March 2005Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia Slovenia1–01–0Friendly
44 June 2005Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland4–14–1Friendly
515 June 2005Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany Australia4–24–32005 FIFA Confederations Cup
625 June 2005Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany Brazil1–12–32005 FIFA Confederations Cup
729 June 2005Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany Mexico1–04–32005 FIFA Confederations Cup
8 7 September 2005Olympiastadion Berlin, Berlin, Germany South Africa1–04–2Friendly
93–1
104–2
11 27 May 2006Badenova Stadion, Freiburg, Germany Luxembourg3–07–0Friendly
125–0
1320 June 2006Olympiastadion Berlin, Berlin, Germany Ecuador3–03–02006 FIFA World Cup
14 24 June 2006Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany Sweden1–02–02006 FIFA World Cup
152–0
162 September 2006Gottlieb Daimler Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany Republic of Ireland1–01–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
17 6 September 2006Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino San Marino1–013–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
185–0
198–0
2010–0
21 11 October 2006Tehelné Pole Stadion, Bratislava, Slovakia Slovakia1–04–1UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
224–1
2312 September 2007Rhein-Energie Stadion, Cologne, Germany Romania3–13–1Friendly
2417 November 2007AWD Arena, Hanover, Germany Cyprus3–04–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
2526 March 2008St. Jakob Park, Basel, Switzerland  Switzerland4–04–0Friendly
26 8 June 2008Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria Poland1–02–0UEFA Euro 2008
272–0
2812 June 2008Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria Croatia1–21–2UEFA Euro 2008
29 6 September 2008Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Liechtenstein1–06–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
302–0
3111 October 2008Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany Russia1–02–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3228 March 2009Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany Liechtenstein4–04–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3329 May 2009Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China China1–11–1Friendly
349 September 2009AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany Azerbaijan4–04–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3514 October 2009HSH Nordbank Arena, Hamburg, Germany Finland1–11–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
36 18 November 2009Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany Ivory Coast1–02–2Friendly
372–2
3829 May 2010Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary Hungary1–03–0Friendly
3913 June 2010Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa Australia1–04–02010 FIFA World Cup
4028 June 2010Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa England2–04–12010 FIFA World Cup
417 September 2010RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany Azerbaijan2–06–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
4212 October 2010Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan3–03–0UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
432 September 2011Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany Austria3–06–2UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
4417 June 2012Arena Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine Denmark1–02–1UEFA Euro 2012
45 29 May 2013FAU Stadium, Miami, United States Ecuador1–04–2Friendly
463–0
476 June 2014Coface Arena, Mainz, Germany Armenia2–16–1Friendly
4825 March 2015Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany Australia2–22–2Friendly
4922 March 2017Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany England1–01–0Friendly

Honours

1. FC Köln

Bayern Munich[85]

Arsenal[85]

Galatasaray[85]

Vissel Kobe

Germany[85]

Individual

Charity and philanthropy

Podolski with children from Arka Fundacja Dzieci in Warsaw

Podolski is the founder of the Lukas Podolski Foundation for Sport and Education (Lukas Podolski Stiftung für Sport und Bildung), whose objectives are to provide opportunities for socially disadvantaged children and youth, combat child poverty, and advance social inclusion, integration, and international understanding.[97]

He is also an ambassador of the Christian Children's Fund the Ark (Die Arche).[98] One of his projects is a community day care centre for children located in a distressed part of Praga-Północ district in Warsaw, Poland, opened in 2014. The facility is run by Arka Fundacja Dzieci sponsored by Podolski's foundation.[99]

Personal life

Podolski was born to Waldemar Podolski and Krystyna Podolska in the Silesian industrial city of Gliwice near Katowice in Poland. Waldemar is a former footballer who played in Poland and Germany. Krystyna is a former member of the Poland national handball team.[100]

In 1987, when Podolski was two years old, his family emigrated from Poland to West Germany and were given Aussiedler status as a result of his paternal grandparents having German citizenship prior to World War II (Gliwice was a part of Germany until 1945 as Gleiwitz).[101] Podolski grew up in Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, and later in Pulheim, both near Cologne.[102]

Podolski possesses dual citizenship, both German and Polish, but has stated that he does not have a Polish passport.[103][104][105] In an interview Podolski said that the Polish Football Association never cared about him until he started playing for the German under-21 team and received coverage in the media. At that point, Podolski had already decided to play for Germany, but nevertheless "there are two hearts beating" in his chest.[103] Podolski speaks Polish and sometimes communicated with Bayern Munich and Germany strike partner Miroslav Klose, also a Polish-born Aussiedler, in Polish to hinder their opposition's understanding of their conversation.[106] Podolski is a fan of KS Górnik Zabrze, a football team based 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from his place of birth.[107]

In April 2011, Podolski married his longtime girlfriend Monika Puchalski in Cologne, Germany.[108] They had a church wedding in Kamionna, Węgrów County, Poland in June 2011.[109] They have a son born 14 April 2008[110][111] and a daughter, born 6 June 2016.[112]

Podolski owns an ice cream parlour and a kebab shop in Cologne.[113]

On 30 June 2021, Podolski was announced as a judge for the 15th season of Das Supertalent, the German version of Got Talent. He will become the first association football player to judge any version of the franchise owned by Simon Cowell.[114]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lukas Josef Podolski". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Lukas Podolski" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Lukas Podolski - nr 10 - Napastnik" (in Polish). Górnik Zabrze. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Lukas Podolski". Arsenal Football Club. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Player Profile". FIFA. Archived from the original on 29 January 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Lukas Podolski: Eurosport". FIFA. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Whitney, Clark. "Why Germany owe a lot to Poland-born Miroslav Klose & Lukas Podolski". Goal.com. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  8. ↑ Munday, Billy (30 July 2018). "The Three Sides of Lukas Podolski: international legend, hometown hero and club enigma". These Football Times. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Hero's farewell for Germany's Lukas Podolski in Dortmund". Eurosport.com. 21 March 2017.
  10. ↑ "Lukas Podolski ignores Oliver Bierhoff criticism to move higher in Germany's scoring list". ITV. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "International: Germany scored four goals inside 25 minutes to beat Ecuador 4–2". Sky Sports. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "FC Köln 2003-04". Skladyfutbol.pl. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "Lukas Podolski: 5 key moments in the career of a Bundesliga and Germany legend". Bundesliga. 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "GERMANY/ OFFICIAL, Podolski at Koeln next summer". 19 January 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  15. ↑ "Low assurance for Podolski". football.co.uk. 14 January 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2009.
  16. ↑ Burton, Chris (19 January 2009). "Podolski seals Cologne return". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  17. ↑ "FC Köln find unique way of funding Podolski transfer". thespoiler.co.uk. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
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  30. ↑ "Podolski, Gervinho score as Gunners roll". ESPNFC. 3 October 2012.
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  43. ↑ "West Ham 1–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 26 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  44. ↑ "Arsenal 4–0 Coventry". BBC Sport. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  45. ↑ "Arsenal 2–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  46. ↑ McNulty, Phil (17 May 2014). "Arsenal 3–2 Hull". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  47. ↑ Sanghera, Mandeep (10 August 2014). "Arsenal 3–0 Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
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