Plays in Poland at 39
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Lukas Podolski is thinking about joining 1. FC Köln. “We are in good and constructive discussions about how I could contribute to FC after my active career,” the 39-year-old club legend was quoted as saying by the second division club. In Cologne, the 2014 world champion, who currently plays for Górnik Zabrze in Poland, will be playing a so-called thank you game with former and active companions this Thursday.
“We are very pleased that the most successful FC player of the current millennium can imagine remaining loyal to FC in the future,” said club president Werner Wolf. “The hype surrounding the thank you game and the special jersey that goes with it shows once again what charisma Lukas Podolski has. His identification with FC and the city of Cologne makes Cologne’s heart beat worldwide.” The game is sold out except for a few remaining tickets. Around 50,000 people are expected.
“In the coming weeks and months I will be in intensive discussions with those responsible for FC to see exactly what my support could look like,” said Cologne’s homegrown player Podolski. He made his professional debut in 2003 and played for the club for three years, returning in 2009 for three more years. In total he played 181 games for FC, scoring 86 goals and 41 assists.
In May he emphasized that he was far from taking on a position at FC in the short term. “I know my name has been mentioned a lot lately and I’ve gotten a lot of calls myself. But I still play football, still enjoy it and want to play for another year. “Everything else is not an issue at the moment,” he said at the time. His contract in Zabrze expires after this season.
