TOKYO - German World Cup winner Lukas Podolski, who played two-and-a-half seasons for Vissel Kobe in Japan's J-League, announced his retirement at 40, the German Press Agency reported Friday.
Born in Poland, the Koln youth product had spells at Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan before joining Kobe from Galatasaray in the summer of 2017, scoring 15 goals in 52 J-League first-division appearances.
He helped Kobe secure their first major title on New Year's Day in 2020 by winning the Emperor's Cup with a team also featuring European stars Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Thomas Vermaelen.
After making his World Cup debut at the tournament on home soil in 2006, Podolski played in South Africa in 2010 and in Brazil in 2014, when Germany became champions with a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in the final.
Podolski played for Turkey's Antalyaspor before making his final move in 2021 to Poland's Gornik Zabrze, his current side. He is expected to become the owner of the club by acquiring all their shares.
