Former Germany striker Lukas Podolski reveals earning more from his restaurants than he did from football

Former Germany striker Lukas Podolski has reaped what he sowed for his off-pitch businesses. Mangal Doner Kebab, his kebab chain, was opened in 2018. Six years was enough for Poldi to reach his break even point, as it is reportedly making a huge profit for him, more than he earned with Arsenal and Inter Milan combined.

As per February 2024, Podolski now has 30 restaurants in Germany, raising his net worth to £177.5 million. 

“Well, if we were to look at the numbers… yes, you could say that,” he said via Sportskeeda.

Podolski had this inspiration from his time playing for a Turkish side Galatasaray. He launched the kebab chain when he was playing for Vissel Kobe. 

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Lukas Podolski had to be ‘entirely involved’ to be successful

Despite still actively playing, this time for his home country club Gornik Zabrze, Podolski has been deeply involved in the production chain process. The 49 goals scorer for Germany admitted that he said the key factor was by understanding the nitty gritty no matter how busy he was.

“I live in Poland but whenever I go back to Germany, I always go to my restaurants,” he added. “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.”

Lukas Podolski was initially criticized for selling kebabs

Podolski’s decision to open a restaurant chain was criticised for ‘not healthy’ for an athlete. But he did not buy the critics, saying it was not entirely a big issue. In addition, he admitted that it has been intention to open a kebab store since the beginning, saying that a high-end one was not his nature. 

“As an athlete, you’ll burn an ice cream for dessert or a kebab in around 10 minutes,” he said via DW. “Opening a five-star restaurant isn’t my style — I’m not the type that wears a suit.”

Born in Poland, he had his first major tournament debut for Germany in the Euro 2004. But he really gained the world’s recognition during the World Cup 2006 when he scored three goals and brought Germany into the semi-finals.  

Germany suffered a huge embarrassment after losing to Italy on their home soil. However, Podolski’s best achievement with the national team came in 2014 when he was part of the title-winning squad in the World Cup. 

During his whole career, Podolski has played for multiple clubs including Arsenal, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and FC Koln. During his club career, there were 663 appearances he made and 223 goals scored by the Gliwice-born.