Former Arsenal forward admits he earns more from selling kebabs than from football

Former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has opened a popular fast-food chain in Germany and admits selling kebabs is more profitable than the contracts he signed at the peak of his football career.

The 38-year-old forward is still under contract with Polish side Gornik Zabrze from his hometown, 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.

Lukas Podolski returns to Poland to end his career at his grandmother's favourite club

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 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.

Podolski scored 31 goals in 82 games with Arsenal between 2012 and January 2015 when he left the Gunners to join Inter.