LUKAS PODOLSKI is a goalscorer, a World Cup winner – and a kebab-making expert.
The former Arsenal and Germany star is now worth nearly £180million after building his own business empire.
He has four restaurants in his beloved Cologne and 30 across Germany, with more planned to open soon, so I went to check it out.
Yards from Cologne’s famous Cathedral, this is no ordinary kebab shop, it’s sleek, there’s a video screen on the wall playing Poldi’s goals for Germany, Arsenal and FC Koln and you’re immediately hit by the smell of freshly-baked bread.
I went for the Poldi Sandwich, more of a classic kebab, I’m told by the server. But you can also get an open pizza, a salad served with the meats or even a falafel kebab.
OK, this is no ordinary kebab.
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The Poldi Sandwich comes with that signature fresh bread, a cross between a roll and a pitta bread that is fluffy and light inside but golden brown on the outside..not like that limp pitta you get in your local.
I chose doner meat, but there’s chicken on offer too, a load of salad and chilli sauce, with a little yoghurt.
Served on a board, it was huge and I considered a knife and fork.. but no, just apply to face.
The meat was delicious and fresh, the salad crunchy and the chilli sauce… lively! Thank goodness for that bit of yoghurt.
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And the bread didn’t disappoint either – holding the whole thing well enough so you’re not wearing it by the end.
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Overall, it’s an absolute winner.
Podolski has previously launched a music festival, sports centre and a football tournament featuring influencers, former players and fans.
He also owns a bar and sports shop in Cologne and is a regular at FC Köln’s home games in his private box.
Podolski spent three years with the Gunners, winning the FA Cup in 2014 and earning in the region of £100,000 a week.
But his business acumen has seen him raise his net worth to a reported £177.5million.
The former Bayern Munich man scored 21 goals in 82 appearances for the North London club before heading on loan to Inter Milan in 2015.
Podolski, now 38, is actually still playing and is now into his third season with Polish side Gornik Zabrze.
He has scored three goals in 17 appearances this term, including a trademark screamer against Piast Gliwice earlier this month.
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At international level, Podolski was a member of Germany’s World Cup-winning squad in 2014.
Overall, he scored 49 goals in 130 caps for his country before his final appearance against England in 2017.
Podolski is not the richest ex-Arsenal star as Mathieu Flamini is worth £10billion
To many fans suprise being worth £180million does not make you the richest ex-Gunner.
Methieu Flamini billion pound chemical company, ‘GF Biochemicals’ has turned the former midfielder into one the richest people in the world, as he is now reportedly worth £10billion.
In an attempt to revolutionise the energy industry back in 2008 shortly after his exit from Arsenal Flamini co-founded the company with his economics graduate business partner, Pasquale Granata.
Nearly 16 years after it was set up, the company is estimated to be worth £21 billion.
This is 40 times more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s £500 million net worth.
The company has succeeded in a major way thanks to its ability to mass-produce levulinic acid – a fuel made from plant waste that can be used in the creation of plastics.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
