Podolski admits he earns more money with kebab chain than at Inter or Arsenal

Former Inter and Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has opened a popular Kebab chain in Germany and admits it is more profitable than the contracts he signed at the peak of his career.

The 38-year-old forward is still under contract with Polish side Górnik Zabrze but is also pursuing an alternative business. In 2018, he opened a Kebab chain called Mangal Doener with a business partner he had met in Koln and now owns 40 restaurants across Germany.

The 2014 Germany World Cup winner released an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday explaining how he is developing the business and his plans for the future.

“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,” he said.

When asked if his new business is more profitable than the contracts he signed at the peak of his career, Podolski replied: “Well, if we were to look at the numbers… yes, you could say that.”

Podolski’s contract with Górnik Zabrze runs out in June 2025 and he is not considering retiring anytime soon.

“I was born in Poland and moved to Germany as a kid, but I’ve always dreamed of returning to my hometown. When I was given the chance to sign for Gornik Zabrze I didn’t think about it twice. People love me, I live close to the training ground. It’s nice to be useful to your hometown club.

“How old was Gigi Buffon when he retired? 45? Well, this means I’ll retire at 46,” he added smiling.

“Jokes aside, I don’t know. My contract ends in 2025 but will continue until I feel well. It could be before that or after. I haven’t been dealing with many injuries for now, so I am not considering retiring.”

Podolski scored 31 goals in 82 games with Arsenal between 2012 and January 2015 when he left the Gunners to join Inter. However, he spent just six months at the Stadio Meazza scoring once in 18 appearances.

“If I could go back in time, I would not accept Inter’s offer,” he admitted.

“Nothing against the club, but I understood that a loan transfer during the January window is not a good idea. Often, a player takes a couple of months to adapt to the city, the fans and the playing style. When things do not go well, players on loan are the first ones to pay for it. It was not a lucky season, but I’ve learned the lesson.”

Nevertheless, the ex-Germany international is impressed by the Nerazzurri’s results and performances this season.

“I often watch their games, especially in the Champions League and I think they’ve reached a very high level. At the moment, they are among the best clubs in Europe. They are behind Manchester City and Real Madrid, but anything can happen.

“I’ve been following Marcus Thuram since he was playing in Germany and he is an important player. It was not easy to play alongside Lautaro Martinez. the Argentinean scores many goals so Thuram had to find a way to be useful to the team. He’s been excellent in this. He sacrifices himself, finds spaces, and he is helpful defensively. It was a bargain for Inter.”