Lukas Podolski announces farewell to football: A chapter closes, a new era begins

Lukas Podolski has announced his retirement from professional football. The former Germany striker, who won the 2014 World Cup, will retire at the end of the season with Gornik Zabrze, the Polish club he has played for since 2021.

"A chapter closes, a new era begins," Podolski wrote on social media alongside the club. In a video posted to Instagram, the 40-year-old symbolically looks back on his career, collecting items from a footballing life before closing a door with the slogan "Thank you football" in six languages.

Podolski will play his last league game on Saturday against Radomiak Radom, an occasion in which Gornik is expected to pay tribute to him. Born in Poland and raised in Cologne's youth academy, Podolski made his professional debut in 2003, quickly becoming a symbol of the club thanks to his goals, his open character and his strong connection to the city.

He made his debut for the German national team in 2004, forming one of the most iconic duos in German football alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. The "Poldi and Schwein" duo contributed to the revival of the Mannschaft's image, culminating in their triumph at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"It was a bit like Cologne: fun, never boring and always a source of positive energy," former Germany coach Joachim Loew once said, also recalling his closeness to the fans.

At club level, Podolski also played for Bayern Munich, with whom he won the league and German Cup in 2008, as well as for Arsenal, Inter, Galatasaray and Vissel Kobe. In recent years, the German has also taken on an increasingly central role off the pitch at Gornik Zabrze.

Last December, he became the club's second-largest shareholder, and just this week, the city council approved the sale of 86% of the club's shares to Podolski, who has pledged to financially support its development in the coming years.

Alongside his football career, the former national team player has launched several businesses, including kebab restaurants, ice cream parlors, a five-a-side football league co-founded with Mats Hummels, a football arena and his own clothing brand.

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