Lukas Podolski wants to camp at a festival soon – his own. This shows quite well: “Poldi” was never just a footballer, but always more. He has made a few observations about Germany.
Former national soccer player Lukas Podolski says that Germans have a tendency to complain. “The Germans like to complain. The envy factor is also on a different level here, that’s definitely the case,” the 39-year-old told the German Press Agency in Cologne. The 2014 soccer world champion has lived and played in many different countries during his career – so he has a pretty good outside perspective on Germany. Nevertheless, “Poldi” added in a conciliatory tone: “But if you know that and can assess it, then you can put up with it.”
Podolski has played 130 international matches for Germany and is a big fan favorite, especially at his former club 1. FC Köln. In the city on the Rhine, no other living celebrity is as revered as “Prince Poldi”. Abroad, he has played for Arsenal FC in England and Inter Milan in Italy, among others. Podolski currently plays for the club Gornik Zabrze in Poland.
He is also an entrepreneur. He is currently preparing for a new edition of the Glücksgefühle music festival (September 12 to 15) at the Hockenheimring. He launched the festival with his partner Markus Krampe in 2023.
Podolski feels comfortable with his family in Poland
“What the Germans definitely like are events: sports, concerts, festivals,” said Podolski. “The Germans are already at the forefront when it comes to this.” Podolski also wants to camp himself at his festival at the Hockenheimring. “Yes, that’s really cool,” he said. “When you get up in the morning and can walk around the grounds when there are hardly any people around.”
When asked where he likes to be in Germany, Podolski said that he feels at home everywhere. “I’ve been to Cologne, Munich, Istanbul, Japan, London. I’ve been in Poland for three years now. I always try to feel at home. That’s my attitude,” he said. He tries to live the culture of each country. He still has a year left on his contract with Gornik Zabrze in Poland. He has no plans for the time after that. “We feel at home as a family in Poland at the moment, the children go to school there and I like being there,” he said. “At the moment there are no plans to leave there either.
“Nobody wants to work anymore”
While many of his professional colleagues concentrate entirely on playing football, Podolski has built up several pillars in various industries in recent years – not only with the music festival, but also with kebab restaurants, clothing and ice cream shops, for example.
“I want to do things, try things out and tackle things 100 percent. With passion,” said Podolski about his entrepreneurial activities. “I know the mentality of people these days,” he said. “It looks like this: home office, nobody wants to work anymore, nobody wants to carry boxes anymore and from 9 p.m. onwards the cell phone is in sleep mode. That may be the new generation, but that’s not me.” He is “cut differently” in this regard. “If someone needs me at 2 a.m., then I’m there. And at 5 a.m. too,” explained Podolski. That’s the only way to be successful.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
