"Yes, you could say that" - Lukas Podolski admits he's earned more from kebab outlets than from contracts at Arsenal and Inter Milan
Former Arsenal and Inter Milan attacker Lukas Podolski has made a rather surprising revelation about is current income.
He owns a popular kebab chain in Germany and has admitted it has raked in more money than his contracts with the aforementioned clubs.
Lukas Podolski did an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport recently where he spoke about his plans for a future after football.
"I live in Poland but whenever I go back to Germany, I always go to my restaurants. I’ve put my face on this project, so it means I am entirely involved. If it wasn’t like this, it would not work so well.
"If you want to succeed in any field in life, you must put yourself in the front row. I may help in the kitchen sometimes even if I am usually busy with emails and calls. Managing the business is time-consuming."
When asked if his businesses were more profitable than playing for Arsenal or Inter Milan, Lukas Podolski agreed.
"Well, if we were to look at the numbers… yes, you could say that."
Lukas Podolski is still contracted to Polish side Gornik Zabrze until June 2025 and is already preparing for a future beyond that.
He first came into prominence having come through the youth ranks af FC Koln, before being signed by Bayern Munich in 2006. Podolski has played for several clubs, with notable spells at FC Koln, Arsenal and Galatasaray. He has made a total of 663 club appearances across youth and senior levels, scoring 223 goals and providing 136 assists.
The forward is a German football legend, having made 130 appearances for his country, scoring 49 and assisting 31 goals. Lukas Podolski is a World Cup winner as well, having lifted the trophy in 2014.
Arsenal and Inter Milan keen on Bologna striker: Reports
Both Arsenal and Inter Milan are closely monitoring promising Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee as per Football Italia. The 22-year-old has developed into quite a striker this season, attracting attention from big clubs all over.
Joshua Zirkzee came through the ranks at Bayern Munich but failed to break into the first team as a regular. He had loan spells with Parma and Anderlecht while still contracted with the Bavarians, but moved to Bologna permanently in August 2022.
Zirkzee is coming into his own this season for Bologna. His 10 goals and six assists in 28 appearances has helped the club climb to fourth in Serie A with 48 points from 26 games. For context, they had 54 points from 38 games last season.
Now, with the likes of Arsenal and Inter Milan keen, the player could be tempted to take the next step in his career.