Lukas Podolski (Part 1)

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8 Apr 2024

Lukas Podolski (Part 1)

Lukas Podolski, born Łukasz Józef Podolski on June 4, 1985, is a German professional footballer renowned for his powerful and accurate left foot, explosive shooting, and attacking prowess from the left side of the pitch. He primarily plays as a forward or attacking midfielder and currently represents Ekstraklasa club Górnik Zabrze.
Podolski began his football journey with 1. FC Köln in 1995, making his breakthrough into the first team in 2003. He amassed 81 appearances for Köln before transferring to Bayern Munich. With Bayern, Podolski achieved success, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2008. He later returned to 1. FC Köln in 2009 before moving to Premier League club Arsenal in 2012, where he clinched the FA Cup title in 2014. Podolski also had stints with Inter Milan in Serie A on loan in January 2015 and later signed with Galatasaray in Turkey, where he won the Turkish Cup in 2016.

Despite being eligible to play for both Germany and Poland, Podolski ultimately represented Germany at the international level. He made his senior team debut in 2004 and was part of the German national team's success in seven major tournaments, including their victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Podolski retired from international football on March 22, 2017, after scoring the winning goal in a friendly against England. He holds the record for the fastest goal scored in Germany's national team history, netting just nine seconds into a match against Ecuador on May 29, 2013.
Lukas Podolski's football journey began at the age of six when he joined the youth team of FC 07 Bergheim. He showcased his talent there before moving to 1. FC Köln at the age of ten. It was at Köln where Podolski's potential was first recognized.

In 2003, at just 18 years old, Podolski was still part of Köln's youth setup when the club was facing relegation from the Bundesliga. First-team manager Marcel Koller, operating with limited resources, invited Podolski to train with the senior squad. Podolski seized the opportunity and made his Bundesliga debut on 22 November 2003. Despite Köln's relegation, Podolski impressed, scoring 10 goals in his first 19 senior appearances, setting a Bundesliga record for an 18-year-old that stood until Florian Wirtz surpassed it in 2021.
Despite interest from top clubs following his call-up to the German Euro 2004 squad, Podolski chose to remain at Köln to help the club secure promotion in the 2004–05 season. He emerged as the league's top scorer with 24 goals, showcasing his scoring prowess. Despite Köln's promotion, the pressure on Podolski to keep the club in the Bundesliga was immense. He scored 12 goals in the 2005–06 season, but Köln was relegated again. It became evident that Podolski's future lay elsewhere, especially as he solidified his place in the German national team.

In 2006, Lukas Podolski attracted interest from several top clubs, including Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen, and Real Madrid, despite having a contract with 1. FC Köln through 2007. On 1 June 2006, Podolski announced that he had reached a transfer agreement with Bayern Munich, allowing him to join the club for the 2006–07 season. While the financial details of the deal were not immediately disclosed, it was speculated that the transfer fee was around €10 million.

Podolski 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. He made an immediate impact, scoring a crucial goal in a DFB-Pokal game against FC St. Pauli just 26 seconds after coming on as a second-half substitute on 9 September 2006. However, his season was interrupted by a serious injury to his right ankle joint, sustained during a training session on 26 October 2006, which sidelined him for several match weeks.
Despite his injury setback and facing stiff competition for playing time, Podolski managed to contribute to Bayern's success during the 2007–08 season, as the club secured a league and cup double. However, he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter, particularly after the arrival of Italian striker Luca Toni. Podolski's frustrations with his limited playing time led to his return to 1. FC Köln on 1 July 2009, marking the end of his somewhat unhappy spell at Bayern Munich.

After receiving assurance from national team coach Joachim Löw that his return to 1. FC Köln would not hinder his international career, an agreement was reached between Bayern Munich and Köln in January 2009 to sign Lukas Podolski. However, Podolski would not officially return to Köln until the start of the summer transfer window. On 1 July, Podolski signed a four-year contract with Köln, reportedly for a fee of around €10 million, the same amount Bayern had paid to sign him in 2006. To help offset the cost of the transfer, Köln launched a unique fundraising campaign where fans could purchase pixels of an image of Podolski for €25 per 8x8 pixel square. Formula One driver and Köln supporter Michael Schumacher participated in the campaign by purchasing several pixels.

Podolski's first season back at Köln, after his stint with Bayern Munich, was disappointing as he scored only three goals throughout the entire season. However, one of those goals was a memorable free kick against his former club Bayern Munich, salvaging a draw.
In the 2010–11 season, Podolski reached a milestone by scoring his 50th Bundesliga goal in a match against Hannover 96 in March 2011. He finished the season with 13 goals and seven assists. The 2011–12 season marked Podolski's final campaign with Köln before his departure. Despite the team's relegation to the 2. Bundesliga, Podolski had a prolific season, scoring 18 goals in 29 league appearances.
In recognition of his loyalty and contributions to the club, 1. FC Köln decided to retire Podolski's iconic No. 10 shirt for as long as he remained an active football player. However, the club resumed assigning the number 10 shirt at the beginning of the 2014–15 Bundesliga season.