Between the fun of football and tears of emotion that bring people together – the farewell to Lukas Podolski turns into a typical “Poldi” event.
Fan favorite Lukas Podolski (39) celebrated his farewell from professional football in Cologne on Thursday evening – befitting his status in front of a full house and among prominent colleagues. The love that “Poldi” receives from all sides is noticeably real. And many would like him to stay in football.
Manuel Neuer: “Special moment”
When Lukas Podolski calls, a multiple world goalkeeper and world champion also comes to the farewell party. When Podolski left, Manuel Neuer (38) was not only in the goal of “Poldis11”, which played against a selection from 1. FC Köln. Neuer paid tribute to his former team-mate with a photo together, which he captioned: “What a great evening and what a special moment to be on the pitch with you one last time. I wish you only the best! THANK YOU, Poldi !” Fans briefly commented on the photo with “2 legends of world football.”
Iniesta: “Mixture of fun and hard work”
With Andres Iniesta (40), another great of international football bowed to the Cologne legend Podolski. Iniesta, who helped Spain win the World Cup in 2010, is one of the most gifted midfielders in history. He and Podolski played together for the Japanese first division club Vissel Kobe in 2018 and 2019. Iniesta highlights “Amigo” Podolski’s special mix of success on Instagram: “For you, football was always synonymous with fun and hard work.”
Celebrated loudly by both fans
Podolski was given the big farewell stage by his two favorite clubs, 1. FC Köln and Gornik Zabrze, where he currently plays. In Cologne he really hit the mark with the fans with his carefree nature and was promoted to national player status. Typical Poldi: On Thursday in Müngersdorf, the fans of both clubs celebrated him loudly, which the clubs proudly document.
Löw: “One of the best and most popular of all time”
Next to Manuel Neuer were the 2014 world champions Christoph Kramer (33), Roman Weidenfeller (44), Per Mertesacker (40), Benedikt Höwedes (36), Ron-Robert Zieler (35), Matthias Ginter (30) and Erik Durm (32). ) with Podolski one last time on the field – trained by world champion trainer Joachim Löw (64), : “When I think of Lukas, then I think of his warmth and his motivating, inspiring nature. Of his laughter. (.. .) He was one of the best strikers we had in Germany – and one of the most popular of all time.” And Christoph Kramer gave his very own “Poldi moment” at the 2006 World Cup: “When he scored the two quick goals against Sweden in the round of 16, that was one of the most beautiful days of my life. We then looked forward to it Went down the street and replayed the game, everyone wanted to be Podolski.”
Pocher: “Just remained a cool guy”
Of course, presenter and comedian Oliver Pocher (46) also honored his friend “Poldi” that evening. The beginning of their special friendship goes back 20 years: “Lukas Podolski was one of the first people I parodied in 2004. He lives here in Cologne, we see each other regularly. He’s just remained a cool guy.” When the band Brings sang their hit “Kölsche Jung” in front of 50,000 spectators, Podolski no longer wanted to hide his tears. It remains the career of a real world star with stops in Cologne, Munich, London, Milan, Istanbul, Kobe, Antalya and Zabrze. How few can Podolski express in succinct words what is on the tip of the tongue of the people. Podolski stands for fun in football as well as for the connection between East and West. Few, like him, are equally popular in Germany and Poland. Actually, someone like Podolski should become a politician. Or “at least” president of his “Effzeh”, as many fans would like.
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.
