The former world champion Lukas Podolski has sharply criticized his colleagues after the European Championship. However, he did not want to blame his former coach Joachim Loew.
Lukas Podolski is one of the most successful German national soccer players. Not only did he become world champion in 2014, he is also two-time third-placed at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and is vice-European champion in 2008. He celebrated all of these successes under coach Joachim Löw.
After the European Championship in the round of 16 against England, the former professional sharply criticized his colleague. For his coach at the time, Podolski broke a lance: He doesn’t want to blame him for the defeats.
Lukas Podolski lacked ambition
The world champion had “this ambition, this will, this fighting spirit” was missing, “it all seemed so bleak. When you see the faces of the players – nothing moves,” said Podolski in the “Bild” podcast EM Insider. “I think a fire could break out in the stadium, they would stay on the pitch,” the 36-year-old continued.
He has no hope for Germany at the moment. “We don’t have ten other players who weren’t nominated but should definitely have been there,” said Podolski. But maybe the new national coach Hansi Flick could cause a jolt through the team.
Löw is not to blame
Joachim Löw does not want to blame Podolski for the knockout round of 16 against England. You can’t judge a coach after just one game, said the ex-professional. What Löw has achieved for German football, “no one else will do after him,” is Podolski’s judgment.
Podolski devotes himself to other tasks
Lukas Podolski himself gave up his career in June 2021. He now has stakes in a number of restaurants in Cologne and runs his own ice cream parlor. In June 2021 it was announced that Lukas Podolski will be the new juror on the RTL show “Das Supertalent”.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
