Profile Lukas Podolski

Personal information

Full name : Lukas Josef Podolski

Date of birth : 4 June 1985

Place of birth : Gliwice, Poland

Height : 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)

Playing position : Left winger / Striker

Attacking midfielder

Current club : FC Köln

Number : 10

Youth career :

1991–1995 FC Jugend 07 Bergheim

1995–2002 1. FC Köln

Senior career

2002–2004 1. FC Köln II

2003–2006 1. FC Köln

2006–2009 Bayern Munich

2007–2008 Bayern Munich II

2009– 1. FC Köln

National team :

2004 Germany U-21

2004– Germany

Club career

1. FC Köln

Podolski began performing football at the age of six within the youth team of FC Bergheim, whereas he performed until he attended 1. FC Köln within 1995. It was there whereas Podolski's skills were former noticed. In 2003, at the age of 18, Podolski was still portion of the club's youth side. At this moment the club located itself within dire straits battling towards skirt relegation from the Bundesliga. First team boss Marcel Koller, working onto a shoestring budget, invited Podolski towards educate with the senior musicians and he made his top flight debut curtly later onto 22 November 2003. Even although Köln failed towards skirt a descent towards the 2nd separation, Podolski had guided what he could do, scoring ten goals within his former 19 senior appearances. This was the greatest tally via an 18-year-old within the history of the Bundesliga.

Though his dub up towards the German Euro 2004 squad carried along interest from numerous top clubs, Podolski visited Köln towards assistance the club benefit promotion within the 2004–05 season. With 24 goals, Podolski gained towards become the league's greatest scorer. Somewhat unusually, Podolski remained portion of the Germany squad, even although he did not play within the national top-tier league.

After Köln were heralded, the pressure was onto Podolski towards keep the club within the Bundesliga technically singlehandedly. Podolski managed towards score 12 goals within the 2005–06 season, but ultimately, Köln were relegated again. It became noticeable that Podolski would not stay again towards shove them across the 2006–07 season—even many so, as Podolski was becoming an integral portion of the national team.

Bayern Munich

In 2006, clubs such as Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV, SV Werder Bremen and even Real Madrid manifested their interest within Podolski, even although he had a contract with 1. FC Köln across 2007. On 1 June 2006, Podolski informed that a shift dealing had been reached with Bayern Munich, allowing him towards collaborate the Bavarian side for the 2006–07 season. Financial items of the import were not immediately available, but the shift fee was invested towards be round €10 million. He made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern onto 11 August 2006 with a 2–0 victory against Borussia Dortmund, arriving onto as a spare within the 88th minute. On 9 September 2006, he arrived onto as a second halves spare within a DFB cup toy versus FC St. Pauli. Only 26 seconds as soon as the second halves activated, he scored the equaliser, evening the match 1–1. On 14 October 2006, with his former Bundesliga goal for Bayern, Podolski assisted towards hang the club's 4–2 victory again Hertha Berlin. On 26 October 2006, Podolski suffered a severe sting towards his right ankle joint inflicted via teammate, Mark van Bommel, during a coaching session. Consequently, Podolski missed many than five match weeks. He replaced from this sting and scored against Alemannia Aachen. He occasionally communicates with fellow Bayern and national team striker Miroslav Klose, also a Polish-born Aussiedler, within Polish towards hinder their opposition's experience of their conversation. When Bayern carried within Italian striker Luca Toni, "Poldi" was transported down the pecking order and obtained less performing moment due towards the coach's preference towards partner Klose and Toni together instead. After a rather unhappy season at Bayern, he replaced towards former club Köln onto 1 July 2009.

Return towards Köln

After Podolski was ensured via national team instructor Joachim Löw that a replace towards 1. FC Köln would not harm his opportunities of international football, an dealing towards sign him was conceded between Bayern Munich and Köln onto twenty January 2009, although he would not replace towards Köln until the activate of the summer shift window, onto 1 July Podolski replaced towards Köln onto a four-year contract, and the shift is invested towards be round €10 million, equalled towards the fee Bayern remunerated towards sign him within 2006. Köln designed a website whereas civilians were able towards buy pixels of an photo of Lukas Podolski for €25 per 8x8 pixel square, within order towards gather €1 million towards dampen the pricing of the transfer. Having just transported from Bayern Munich, Podolski had a destitute former season at Köln, scoring just three moments the entire season. One of his goals however, arrived from a free kick against his former club towards salvage a draw.

In the 2010–11 season, Podolski scored three goals within his former eight impressions for Köln. In a DFB-Pokal second round against 1860 Munich, Podolski assisted two goals and scored 1 within a match which ended 3-0, fetching his tally up towards 4 goals within ten games.

International career

In late 2003, as soon as numerous impressive dramas within his former few Bundesliga toys, Polish media implied then-Polish national team instructor Paweł Janas towards audit Podolski out, as he was still eligible towards play for Poland. Janas overlooked the appeal stating within one of the press interviews that "as for today we possess much better strikers within Poland and I don't see a reason towards dub up a musician just because he performed one or two nice fits within the Bundesliga. He's not even a frequent starter at his club." By that moment Podolski was still interested within portraying Poland, but as the season proceeded increasingly German media activated towards evoke towards dub up the striker towards their national team. When his full prospect was finally unveiled, he had already been enticed towards portray Germany. At the end of the season Köln were relegated, but Podolski impressed so much, that he applauded his debut for Rudi Völler's Germany onto six June 2004 within Kaiserslautern against Hungary with a late spare appearance. He had become the former second-division musician since 1975 towards contravene into the national team.

Euro 2004

Podolski performed for Germany at Euro 2004, whereas he was the squad's youngest player. He made one spare impression within the toy against the Czech Republic, when he arrived onto for Torsten Frings at half-time.

World Cup 2006

Podolski was appointed within the Germany squad for the 2006 World Cup, whereas he partnered Miroslav Klose within attack. He scored his former ever World Cup goal within Germany's third category match against Ecuador, and both goals within the 2–0 victory again Sweden within the round of 16. By this, he became the former musician since 1962 towards score two goals within the former 12 minutes of a World Cup match and alone the third man ever towards conduct the feat. Germany went towards the semi-finals and forgotten towards Italy 2–0 within additions time. They ultimately won the third site match against Portugal. His three goals within the tournament tied him for second within the Golden Boot competition, which was won via his teammate Miroslav Klose with five goals. Podolski was tied with Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Maxi Rodriguez, Hernán Crespo, and FIFA World Cup Player Of The Tournament (winner of the Golden Ball) Zinedine Zidane. Podolski was named the World Cup's Best Young Player ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Euro 2008

In Euro 2008 qualifying toy against San Marino within Serravalle Podolski netted four goals within Germany's file 13–0 thrashing. He is one of alone four German musicians towards score four goals within an international match. He was the third as soon as Gerd Müller and Michael Ballack, and since this, Mario Gómez has accomplished this feat. In Germany's 4–1 victory against Slovakia within Bratislava onto 11 October 2006, he scored the former and the last German goal, both onto assists via Miroslav Klose. He has persisted towards score goals at an stunning rate. On 17 November 2007, within a Euro qualifier match against Cyprus, Podolski was embroiled within every goal within Germany's 4–0 victory. This was one of Podolski's greatest dramas for the national team. Even although he performed out of his natural grading, performing at deserted midfield, he netted one goal himself and was voted Man of the Match. On eight June 2008, Podolski made his Euro 2008 door against debutants Poland within a Group B match within Klagenfurt, Austria. He scored both goals within a 2–0 victory. He skirted applauding his goals, however, towards appear respect for his nation of birth. After the toy he provided an emotional interview onto Polish television. The goals put him within the command within the Euro 2008 goal-scoring list for two days until David Villa scored a hat-trick for Spain against Russia.

On 12 June, Germany performed Croatia within their second Group B match, again within Klagenfurt. Podolski scored the German team's alone goal of the toy within the 79th minute, via which moment the Croatians were already leading 2–0. He did not applaud this goal either despite it putting him joint former onto the Euro 2008 goal-scoring list with David Villa. Podolski's goal was not adequate towards grab a draw, with Croatia retention out for a 2–1 victory again Germany. On 19 June, Germany performed Portugal within the quarterfinal within Basel, Podolski was instrumental within the former goal, whipping a cross into the disadvantage container that was slotted house via Bastian Schweinsteiger within the 22nd minute towards grant Germany a 1–0 lead.

On the international scene, Podolski seems towards be gravitating towards an attacking deserted midfield role from his old-fashioned site as a striker. Initially, Löw had transported him towards the wing within order towards adapt the partnership of Klose and Mario Gómez up front. When this backfired, he resumed his forward grading within the UEFA Euro 2008 Final, but was unable towards deter Germany losing 1–0 towards Spain. In a controversial incident, Podolski was headbutted via Spanish midfielder David Silva, although this went unnoticed via the referee and his assistants, and went unpenalised. Lukas Podolski was named within the 23 man squad as one of the musicians of the tournament along with countrymen Michael Ballack and Philipp Lahm.

World Cup 2010 Qualification

On six September 2008, Podolski scored the gate two goals within Germany's former 2010 World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein within Vaduz; a match that ended within a 6-0 victory for the Germans. He scored the opener within the 2-1 house victory again Russia onto 11 October, when he swung Vasily Berezutsky onto the edge of the disadvantage frontier, ahead of unleashing a mighty shot beyond Russia's goalkeeper Akinfeev. He ceased the qualification campaign second highest scorer of Group 4 with six goals, rear teammate Miroslav Klose's 7. During one of the qualifying fits, he was embroiled within a bust-up with team captain Michael Ballack.

World Cup 2010

On 13 June 2010, Podolski, whom had become conditioned towards his grading as a winger scored the former goal within Germany's World Cup gate toy within a 4-0 victory against Australia, ahead of controlling teammate Thomas Müller for the third goal. On 18 June 2010, Podolski missed a second-half disadvantage as soon as a handling infraction devoted via Nemanja Vidić within the 1-0 loss towards Serbia. The German team had gone down towards 10-men as soon as a second yellow was guided towards Miroslav Klose within the 36th minute. Even although the Germans performed with 10-men around the lie down of the toy, Podolski had several opportunities onto goal. However he was unable towards capitalize, and the toy ended within a secret defeat for the Germans. However, he managed towards score against England within the last 16, granting Germany a 2-0 advantage within the former half. They went onto towards hammered England 4-1. In the quarter final against Argentina, Podolski assisted Klose towards a goal, fetching the score towards 2-0. The Germans won the match 4-0.