Podolski leaves the field before taking over Polish club Gornik Zabrze

Former Germany striker Lukas Podolski brought down the curtain on his playing career on Saturday with a final appearance for Gornik Zabrze, the Polish club he loves so much that he not only chose to retire there but also bought him.

The 40-year-old came off the bench on the final day of the season in Gornik’s 6-2 home win over Radomiak ‌Radom, as the club finished second in ‌the ⁠top flight behind Lech Poznan.

The Gornik fans unveiled a huge tifo in honor of Podolski, with the word ‘boss’ in the foreground. He announced on Thursday that he is now the club’s majority shareholder, after striking a deal with the Zabrze city council, which ran the club.

Podolski was born in Poland but moved to Germany as a boy and represented his adopted country 130 times, scoring 49 goals and winning the World Cup in 2014.

After a club career that took him to Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Galatasaray, he returned to Poland in 2021.

Gornik, a club whose glory days seemed long behind them – winning the last of 14 league titles in 1988 – was the team that Podolski’s grandmother supported and he has remained a supporter since his childhood when he visited Poland.

Gornik won the Polish Cup for the first time since 1972 earlier in May and fans will be hoping that Podolski’s stewardship can lead the Polish Cup back to a long-awaited league title.

In addition to a successful football career, Podolski owns a popular kebab chain in Germany, Mangal Doner, and has also invested in several other business ventures.

Published on May 24, 2026