Soccer-Podolski bows out on the pitch before taking over Polish club Gornik

Former Germany forward Lukas Podolski ​brought the curtain down on his ​playing career on Saturday with ‌one last ​appearance for Gornik Zabrze, the Polish club he loves so deeply that he not only chose to retire ‌there but bought them as well.

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 ‌runners-up in the top flight behind Lech Poznan. The Gornik fans unveiled a huge ‌tifo in Podolski's honour, with the word 'boss' to the fore. He announced on Thursday that he was now the club's majority owner, after completing a deal with the Zabrze city council who 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 which took him to Bayern ​Munich, Arsenal and Galatasaray, he returned to Poland in 2021.

Gornik, a club whose ⁠glory days appeared to be long behind them -- winning the last of their 14 league titles in ⁠1988 -- ​was the team Podolski's grandmother supported and he has remained a supporter since his childhood days visiting Poland. Gornik won the Polish Cup for the first time ⁠since 1972 earlier in May and the fans will hope Podolski's stewardship can lead them ⁠back to a ⁠long-awaited league title.

Aside from a successful footballing career, Podolski owns a popular kebab chain in Germany, Mangal Doner, and has also ‌invested in ‌several other business ventures.

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