AT THE 2004 UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
297 PLAYERS TOOK TO THE FIELD.
TODAY, TWO OF THEM
ARE STILL PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS:
CRISTIANO RONALDO AND
[Lukas] But honestly,
I don't look 40, do I?
What do you think? Do I look 40?
[interviewer] Okay.
Is this sh*t ready?
- [interviewer] Everything okay?
- Sound too?
Yes.
I'm Lukas Podolski.
And we're sh**ting
something awesome right now.
[energetic music playing]
When I watch documentaries like this,
I think it's just always the same thing.
The career is examined
[camera shutter clicking]
throw in some highlights clips.
[commentator] Lukas Podolski,
that's his position!
Like 80% of you,
I scratch my ba*ls sometimes too.
And that's all right.
And every now and then,
something personal happens.
[in Polish] Mine, mine, mine
Such a little baby.
[Lukas] Then all the coaches speak.
Jogi Lw, Thomas Mller,
Toni Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger
- Hello.
- [Lukas] Oliver Kahn.
The teammates.
25 cameras and then: talk.
- The left foot.
- Left foot.
- Left foot.
- The best left foot.
[commentator] Podolski! Crazy!
I'm freaking out here!
- Power.
- Assertiveness.
Mentally very stable.
[commentator] Nice play. Podolski!
He could score goals from anywhere.
- World champion.
- 130 games.
A legend.
Podolski. Great stuff from Germany.
2-0. Magnificent football.
That is for me what makes a great player.
[Lukas] There's never anything in them
that you didn't already know.
And I have to say, that's a bit boring.
Is that so? Really?
- Well then.
- All right.
I took time out especially for this.
You can kiss my
Too bad. I had a lot to say.
[Lukas] I think for this one we could hear
from other people too.
They can answer questions about me.
THE KIT MANAGER
Sure, family is important.
"Mrs. Podolski, what a grandson you have!"
He says he can play
for another five years. [laughs]
THE FATHER
If he finds out, he'll k*ll me.
THE SISTER
[interviewer] I'd love to hear
a few things from your aunt too.
Uh, yeah, sure, I mean
[Lukas] You can't go wrong there.
Uh, then the other aunt is going to say:
"Why didn't you ask me?
Why only one aunt?"
THE ONE AUNHello.
THE OTHER AUNJoin me
Come in, I'll show you my new home.
All for the film, all for the documentary.
We need a bit of drama.
[shouting indistinctly]
Let's see what comes out of it.
Full speed ahead.
[crowd] Lukas Podolski!
- Positively crazy.
- He needs action.
That's how he is.
I don't know him any other way.
I never stop.
You snooze, you lose. [chuckles]
[music stops]
BERGHEIM, GERMANY
[Lukas] This is where I grew up.
- Camera rolling?
- [cameraman] Rolling.
[Lukas] Okay, and action.
PARENTAL HOME
[chilled music playing]
- [Lukas] Oh!
- [Justina] Hello.
[indistinct chattering]
[Krysia] Wonderful.
[Lukas] I think it would be
a cool thing to do,
the family interview.
Where everyone sits together and talks.
Because that's when
the real stories will come out.
[laughing]
Why are you laughing?
"Oh, yeah, back then, that's right."
[laughing and chattering]
Black hair.
[Krysia] Beautiful pictures.
[Lukas] My family includes my mum, Krysia.
Uh, here.
- [Waldemar] Show us.
- Mum playing handball.
- [Krysia] Oh, that's nice.
- Number 6. Here.
[Lukas] My dad, Waldemar.
[Lukas] Yes. Hey, hey.
- [Waldemar] What is it?
- Look here!
No, no, no, no, no.
That was when I became a pro.
He was celebrating.
- [Lukas] First professional contract.
- [Waldemar] Show me.
[Lukas laughing]
- You can't show pictures like that.
- [laughing]
[Lukas] My sister, Justina.
Podolski. All of them.
[Krysia] Look at that!
Uh! [laughs]
- [Justina] My God, we were so young.
- Jesus Christ. Gigolo!
[laughing]
Yes, we're a little bit crazy.
[Lukas] Yes, positively crazy.
Positively crazy.
[Lukas] All four of us
shared the same bath water.
A full tub, not like one out
then filling with fresh water, but
- [Justina] First one
- First one in, then the next one.
And it was worse to be the last one.
[laughing]
He always filled the bathtub
with a lot of water.
- He wanted to.
- And then his mum said,
"Lukas, not so much water."
But he said something very sweet.
He said, "Mum, one day
you'll have so much water
that you can bathe as much as you want."
- And that was kind of
- Yes.
Well, that's how it turned out.
- To this day.
- It's how it still is.
KATOWICE, POLAND
[soft music playing]
- Mama.
- Mm-hm.
- Mama.
- There. Okay.
Yeah?
Elchi, mniam-mniam, pretzel sticks!
[laughs]
[Ella, in Polish] Coffee was made by Ella!
Oh! What a good coffee!
- [Lukas] One, two, three. Bravo.
- [Ella] Again
[Lukas] Ella goal!
[Ella] No! Dad goal!
[Ella screams]
[Lukas] Our base, our home
right now is in Poland.
[in Polish] Not that one.
[Lukas] That's where we live as a family.
That's Monika, me, and the kids.
[Lukas, in Polish]
Dad has to get sauce for Maya.
[Lukas, in English] Louis is already
starting to stand on his own two feet.
But as for the two girls,
Monika and I do the day-to-day stuff.
[Ella chattering]
[Lukas] Monika was always
in the background.
She's a bit camera shy.
And she always will be.
MONIKA SPEAKS PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
[Monika] Just keep it in mind.
I don't know why you stayed here for that.
[interviewer] Testing one, two, three.
[Monika] I think it's important to see
that he's not just a footballer.
Poldi.
But also a dad.
That he has a very loving, gentle,
and different side to him.
And that's why I agreed
to take part in all of this.
[hip-hop music playing]
[Lukas] I think my daily routine has been
the same since I started playing football.
Basically, I train every day.
And then there are the games,
either Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
You're out of shape.
You need to work out a bit more.
Put a bit more effort into it.
You need to be more solid, you know?
[Lukas singing]
Okay. Here we go again.
Let's go, my friend!
Soberka! I hope you enjoy all the f*cking!
Remember, condoms are important.
- Soberka, best of luck!
- [Soberka] Thank you!
[Lukas] I'd been thinking about going back
to Poland for quite some time.
We're here in the region of Silesia.
The club is based in the town of Zabrze.
Grnik Zabrze.
That's where I'm playing football
these days.
Zabrze is a working-class town.
The region is known
for its pits, for mining, etc.
Normal people, open-minded people.
[chuckles]
Sosnica is five minutes from the stadium.
It's where my whole family comes from.
I used to go to the stadium
with my father and my uncle.
I'd been thinking about going back
to the region to the club
for quite a while.
I promised my grandmother in Poland.
World champion.
- World champion.
- Yes.
- Is it good?
- It's good, it's good.
I just feel at home.
That's where I come from.
I feel comfortable and I love being there.
JULY 2024
[crowd chanting]
[drums beating]
[commentator] It's the first match day
of the Polish Ekstraklasa!
Lech Pozna welcomes Grnik Zabrze.
I've been thinking to myself
that it's my final season.
[muffled shouting]
[Lukas] I'll be 40 this summer.
That should be the end of my career.
Then I'll sit down
and think about what to do next.
But as for now it's over.
And you're coming along for the ride.
[tongue clicking]
[Lukas] They get fed at six o'clock.
These two idiots here. Uh?
[cat miaows]
[Lukas imitates miaowing]
Come. Come.
I think everyone knows me as a footballer.
Of course that will come up
in the documentary. That's logical.
There were some beautiful moments.
Many moments. Many goals.
COMING UP ON "POLDI"
[commentator 1] World champions!
[Lukas] Defeats.
[commentator 2]
It will be a very ugly end.
[Lukas] That's all part of it.
A documentary is 90 minutes.
Or shorter or longer. It depends.
And 70 to 80% of it is usually
just about the footballer
and his achievements.
And only 20% of it, really,
is about off the pitch.
If I were to set the direction,
I'd flip that around.
COLOGNE
GERMANY
[Lukas] 1.2 million euros, right?
Yeah, let's see.
Let's see, let's see what's coming, okay?
Yeah?
[Christian] Lukas has changed quite a lot
in the last ten to 12 years.
People don't expect the person he is.
They expect the footballer.
But not Lukas, the businessman,
who has evolved in recent years.
[Lukas] This year will probably be
my last season.
The last game will be some point in May.
I want to develop a collection
that will essentially be the final one.
This wall here, let's say,
is Lukas Podolski's goodbye collection,
created in collaboration
with Podolski and the club.
LP10-X, Grnik Zabrze logo printed small
over here. Or at the neck.
[man] How many items will it be roughly?
- Shall we make a suggestion?
- Yes, yes.
I just want to make stuff
that looks a bit cooler.
- I'm not into something like this.
- [man] Okay.
I'd rather go in this direction.
It's a cool cut, cool fabric,
and simple, clean logo.
I think this bag is great, I'd buy it.
I don't know how well garden gnomes sell.
It's a very German product, really.
Yeah, I don't know. Garden gnomes,
you know, everyone has them, don't they?
Well, yes,
but not one that looks like you.
- [Lukas] Let's do it.
- [man] That'd be awesome.
- Let's make one.
- Yes?
And then you tell me how many.
And when we know the final price,
I'll have it wired to you.
- I'll take care of the rest with the club.
- Got it.
Just all off the top of my head.
Full speed ahead.
[car accelerating]
[conversations in Polish]
So only five seconds will actually end up
in the movie, right?
- From what we just did.
- [interviewer] Yes. Absolutely.
All day long he's just thinking
about projects and business.
"How can I do this better? Bigger?
How can I do even more?"
That's just his general attitude.
SPEYER AIRFIELD
[Lukas chuckles] There they are again.
["It's My Life" by Dr. Alban playing]
Yes, heading to the festival after defeat.
All for the documentary. [groans]
[Christian] Lukas isn't the type to sleep.
He's not gonna says,
"I'm gonna chill for a few hours."
With Lukas, you hit sixth gear
from the start, at top speed.
Stop telling people
How to run your business
[Lukas] Here we go now!
Hey, Luis!
It's my life
It's my life
- It's my life, my worries
- It's my life
- It's my life, my problems
- It's my life
[Lukas] Here we go.
Hey!
It's my life
Over here!
It's my life
[Lukas] We built a festival
from the ground up.
We've now had over 200,000 visitors.
good examples
Stop telling me
How to run your business
Calling sponsors, calling managers,
organising the whole thing, and that.
I enjoy it.
Thanks for coming, guys.
It was a great show, really.
- Hi. Lukas.
- Hi. Kevin. Nice to meet you.
- [in German] No problem!
- [in German] All good!
It's my life
My wife wants a picture.
- Yes. f*ck yeah.
- But without me, okay?
Honey, where you at?
- [woman] Just this photo. Okay.
- [Lukas] One last photo.
Thank you, guys.
- [woman] All right. Thank you.
- [Lukas] Thank you, guys.
- [Kevin] Bye-bye. Thanks for having us.
- [woman] Thank you!
Wake up! Good morning!
["Hustlin'" by Rick Ross playing]
[crowd] Two, one
[Lukas] Here we go.
- [crowd] Podolski! Podolski! Podolski!
- [Lukas cheering]
I have a business called Mangal Dner.
Ice Cream United. Together with Christian.
"Come on, let's make ice cream."
All right, so we're making ice cream.
And two or three other things
that are already underway or in the works.
Go, get a kebab there.
There are people who say his kebabs
are better than his career these days.
[Lukas] Of course, the goal is
to grow all the businesses.
I want 100, 200 stores. That's my goal.
You can often see the surprise
on people's faces
when you tell them
there's already over 60 stores.
They're probably like,
"Holy sh*t. How has he done that?"
[interviewer] That's a lot, right?
What is it that drives you?
If you snooze, you lose.
Remember that. If you snooze, you lose.
Everyday I'm hustlin'
Okay, I'll call them.
He's always on the move.
Sometimes he travels to Germany
for only two or three hours.
I didn't even know that he was here.
And then he's back home in Poland
by the evening.
So later I learn
he was in Germany at home.
Seven forty-five, white on white
That's f*ck' Ross
So my mode is not, like,
a one-way street, you know.
More like the Shibuya crossing.
I cut 'em wide, I cut 'em long
[Lukas] It goes in all directions.
I keep 'em comin' back
We keep 'em comin' back
Football, business,
there's a lot going on. Family life also.
Lots of people coming and going.
There's always a lot going on.
Travelling, doing stuff
I often find myself wondering,
why is he still doing so much?
Things are going well.
Why are you putting himself through this?
But Lukas just keeps going.
Everyday I'm hustlin'
[music stops]
[interviewer] Don't you want
to rest at some point?
ZABRZE, POLAND
[man 1] 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 1, 2
[Lukas] Sarapata, damn it,
you had four days off!
- [man 1] Come on!
- Come on, come on!
[man 2 groans]
New stuff has been added.
[teaspoon clinking]
[interviewer] What do you think
you'll miss when you retire?
When you've been doing this
your whole life,
at some point of course you'll miss it.
But I think after a while,
like six months or a year,
something new will open up again.
Every change is hard at first.
But you get used to it eventually.
But I'll miss some things, of course.
Getting here, sitting down, drinking tea.
It's just been in the body
for over 20 years.
If it suddenly disappears overnight
I'm actually quite curious to see
how I'll react to it,
what it will be like.
- [interviewer] Does that scare you a bit?
- No.
"What will be will be"
as they say in Cologne.
[hopeful music playing]
OCTOBER 2024
HIS FAREWELL MATCH FROM 1. FC COLOGNE
TAKES PLACE IN COLOGNE.
THE PLACE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.
[camera clicks]
[Lukas] When I started playing
for FC Cologne, I was ten years old.
[Lukas] Later I moved up to the pros.
[camera clicks]
[Lukas] That was always my dream.
This is my club.
[commentator] And now
Lukas Podolski has returned,
almost 40 years old
and still playing professionally.
I wanted to organise a farewell game
that would bring these two clubs together,
FC Cologne and my current team,
Grnik Zabrze.
[crowd chanting and shouting]
Both are home clubs for me.
To play one more game against each other.
[commentator talking indistinctly]
[crowd roaring]
[Lukas] To play once more in the stadium
where everything began for me.
[commentator] Lukas Podolski,
welcome to the Bundesliga.
Just 18 years and already a rising star.
- [crowd cheering]
- [commentator] He scores an early goal.
[Lukas] To say goodbye, to say thank you
for all the support over the years.
[commentator] Podolski,
free kick, it's a goal!
Goal for FC Cologne. Lukas Podolski!
To all the coaches, all the teammates
I played with over the years,
thank you so much for all the years
you welcomed us here.
From me, from my family.
And that's why it's hard to say goodbye.
- [crowd cheering and applauding]
- [emotional, energetic music]
[music ends]
[Jogi] He walked around the stadium,
the spectators were cheering his name.
He talked to his people
He didn't want to leave at all.
And that's when I realised
that this is, like, his living room.
He moves around
as if he was born on the pitch.
The thing he loves most
is playing football.
[indistinct conversations in background]
[reporter] Football is a finite thing.
Do you feel it might be over
for you at some point soon?
Yes, it's hard to let go.
I'll just see how things are
once the season ends.
- [Michal] Boss!
- [Lukas] Good morning.
- [Michal] Good morning.
- [Lukas] Oh, you're in pink today!
Don't film here, it's just chaos!
Not here, please!
BOARD MEMBER GRNIK-ZABRZE
Especially in nice colours today.
BOARD MEMBER GRNIK-ZABRZE
Valentine's Day, Valentine's
Valentine's Day.
Our president.
- Shall we go into the middle room?
- [Michal] Yes!
[both chuckle]
[Lukas] Hi.
[interviewer] How long
do you want to play?
[Lukas] I don't know, to be honest.
I still haven't made my decision on
whether to stop at the end of the season
or carry on for the next.
[interviewer]
You haven't made your mind up yet?
What do you mean, "made my mind up"?
At this moment, my plan is to stop.
So, to discuss the contract details
Whether it is 500 zloty, 1000,
or any other amount
Today is not the day for these talks?
I like to keep my options open in life.
[interviewer] So we're not filming
your last season now?
Supposed last season.
"SUPPOSED LAST SEASON"
My head isn't ready to think:
"Okay, in a few weeks it'll all be over."
That's why there's no decision yet.
[suspenseful music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Lukas] Football is simply the best sport.
It's fun and emotional.
It gives you things
you don't find in your everyday life.
That's why I love it.
It's a drug for me.
[crowd booing]
If you're looking to replace
the emotions you felt on the pitch
FORMER TEAMMATE
you'll never find them.
[indistinct commentator]
[Oliver] The feeling of the final,
whether you win or lose, the atmosphere.
Everything that goes with it is over.
It won't come back.
And there's just nothing out there
that can provide you
with the same emotions.
[crowd chanting]
It's not just a job you do.
It's a passion.
And, naturally, it's very difficult
to have to give up a passion forever.
Of course there are many questions.
What happens when it's over?
What will drive you then?
Or who am I when it all comes to an end?
[crowd applauding]
[Monika] Lukas is going
through a period of change right now,
where he needs to let go
for the time being.
And you are just about to observe
this new phase of life for him,
which I think he will find very difficult.
[Lukas singing] Many songs in my head
And the top of my notes
And the singing
be my number one
[in Polish] Here,
have this one from Daddy.
[Monika] Lukas doesn't open up
to other people all that easily.
You really have to spend
a lot of time with him
to understand what kind of person he is.
- [Lukas] One, two, three. One, two, three.
- [Maya] One, two, three.
[Monika] You only see the footballer,
the funny guy.
Poldi.
Mama!
[Monika] There is much more to him
than all that.
[chattering indistinctly]
Plop!
[Monika] To understand Lukas as a person
and his character,
you also have to take a look
at how he grew up,
how he developed, where he came from.
[Lukas] Come on then! Let's go now.
[Monika] I think that will help to make
a lot of things clearer.
POLAND
It was the end of November 1987.
It was a very difficult time.
[reporter] Poland is still far
from being able to feed itself.
The economic development has led
to inflation and widespread poverty.
After drastic price increases, many people
can no longer even afford their rations.
[Lukas] I don't know exactly
how we got to Germany. I was too young.
I've only ever heard the story
from my mother and father.
- [Krysia] Passport.
- [Lukas] Passport.
[Waldemar] Yes, there it is,
that's my old passport.
The old Polish passport.
Oh, here, here I am. Mum's visa.
[soft piano music playing]
- Here.
- [Krysia] Look at us.
[camera shutter clicks]
Not everyone was able to come.
And my wife got a visa from Holland.
And I got one from Germany.
Yes. We did it all secretly.
[interviewer]
Who knew about it beforehand?
Only me, my husband, my sister-in-law.
And that was it. No one else.
No one knew.
We packed our things in the car.
Me with one child
and my wife with the other one.
And then we asked ourselves,
should we go or not?
And then we just went for it.
[Waldemar] And so we came here
to Bergheim.
We moved here for a better life.
For the children.
[Lukas] We only brought
a few things with us.
We just didn't have anything here.
My father found a job.
My mother started as a cleaner
at the school.
She cleaned the classrooms and everything.
And yes, that's how it all started.
My grandmother took us in.
In the beginning,
she was like a second mother to me.
She helped raise me, took care of me.
ROOM 006
MRS. PODOLSKI
[Irene] Nice. Yes, nice.
[Lukas exclaims and chuckles]
You put a jacket on.
[laughing]
- You dressed up for the day, huh?
- Yes, today is Sunday.
[laughing]
[Lukas] Yeah.
He always was a good guy.
GRANDMA
Oh, yes.
He was the youngest member of our family.
You were one year old.
- No, two. Two. Yes.
- Yes, one Two? Yes.
Two, yes.
Then you didn't want
to go to kindergarten.
You always cried.
I didn't like kindergarten.
The teacher spoke German the whole time.
And, of course,
I didn't understand a word at first.
My grandma,
she dropped me off at the door.
And then she left.
But I didn't go into the classroom,
I went outside.
And I waited there until one,
until two, sat on the kerb,
until she came back to pick me up.
- [interviewer] Alone?
- Alone, yes.
[Lukas] Some of the kids made fun of me.
They said things like,
he doesn't understand the language
and so on, but
Learning German as quickly as possible
and adapting to German culture
was really important.
Whenever we went out to eat,
my parents were always saying,
"Behave yourselves,
there are a lot of Germans here".
That happened so often when I was little.
Because there were a lot of Germans around
and we wanted to show we were fitting in.
[Lukas] The good thing was
that we lived in a housing development
where there were
25 different nationalities living.
No one cared where you came from.
We just had fun and played football
together in the street.
[birds chirping softly]
[Lukas] This is how I used to walk
to the pitch.
He was always with the ball.
Always with the ball, even in the bathtub.
Always with the ball.
The ball went everywhere with me.
If my mum sent me out
to pick up groceries,
I'd juggle the ball down the stairs,
then walked the whole way with it.
When I got the ball from my parents
as a present,
I was happy, I was proud.
I even slept with the ball
because it was so awesome.
[Justina] No matter the weather
it made no difference
if it was cold or raining.
He came home wet from head to toe.
He was always on the pitch.
[Lukas] That football pitch in Bergheim
was a luxury for me,
a sense of freedom.
I always felt at home there.
That's where I blossomed,
it was everything to me.
[hip-hop music playing]
- [interviewer] What was he like then?
- Same as today. Rough.
He was exactly the same
as a young boy as he is today.
You had to stand your ground against him
because he's solid, tough,
and always sh**ting with his left foot.
Everyone was afraid of his shot.
That was his weapon.
[Lukas] We just had a lot of fun.
Five on five, six on six, seven on seven.
We never stopped playing.
[Lukas groans] Ah, yes!
Everyone knew Lukas.
And the football pitch was
SISTER
by bike around five,
six, seven minutes away.
And my mother would always yell his name.
And word would get around
until it reached the pitch.
"Lukas, your mother is calling.
You have to go home now."
[birds chirping softly]
You hungry?
I just put them in the freezer.
Pork chops and chicken.
- Okay?
- Yeah.
Today we're having new potatoes with dill
[both laughing]
Uh pork chops
- And mushrooms.
- [Lukas] Schnitzel!
Schnitzel, well, pork chop.
In Poland it's called pork chop.
- [Lukas] Wiener Schnitzel.
- [Krysia] Yes.
- You need to add a little butter.
- [Krysia] Well, there's the margarine.
- My God, you're driving me crazy.
- [Lukas] Now, make it fast.
My mother has this mindset where she
always wants to do everything perfectly.
We both share the same drive.
If she loses a key card,
she'll keep searching for it
until she finds the thing.
Where others might say, I don't care,
I'll just get a new one at the reception
or have it blocked,
she keeps searching
and tries to find it or
she's fixing things until they work again.
[gentle music playing]
[Lukas] A fighter with a winner's
mentality, and that's who I am too.
I was never a fearful person.
[interviewer] Do you think
that he got that from you?
I think so.
I always say
that he got almost everything from me.
[tape whirring]
[Willi] It was amazing
for such a little guy
that he was so confident, that he was
the one who basically dominated,
even though he was often
the smallest and youngest.
[Ralf] Of course, he had moments
in the game where he passed the ball well,
delivered some excellent crosses,
and took up the right positions.
He also had a good eye for scoring goals.
It was clear to me that we had to try
and bring that player to FC Cologne.
[camera clicks]
[Lukas] From 1995 I was
in the youth team at FC Cologne.
Anyone who has come this far
has the desire to go further.
In the end, everyone wants to be a pro.
I played for FC Cologne
for the U17s and U19s on Sundays.
The games kicked off at eleven.
Then I'd leave at three or four
and go and play football with my boys
down the pitch in my neighbourhood.
Of course we also got up to sh*t
and had fun.
[interviewer] What kind of sh*t
did you get up to?
Quite a bit, yeah. A lot.
Stealing things. Uh
Once the boys and I broke
into a warehouse somewhere.
We also used to sell tickets
on the black market back then.
[Lukas S.] We used to get free tickets
because we were in the youth team.
And then we'd sell them before the games.
There was a black market for it.
Some of the boys in the youth teams
didn't live in Cologne,
and so didn't always have the time
to travel back on the weekend
to watch the match.
So we bought the tickets from the boys
for five marks, ten marks,
but then sold them for 20 or 25.
I have to say, Poldi was always tough
in negotiations. Always.
If he was offered five marks,
he would say no, and he wouldn't sell it.
We might have had
eight or ten tickets for some games.
Well, when you add it all up,
it comes to quite a lot.
Plus deposits in the stadium.
[Lukas] Some of us searched
the lower tier, some the upper tier.
And then he had maybe 10 or 15 cups
and exchanged them all in for money.
[interviewer] What did you do
with the money?
I don't know, no idea.
He took out all his money, the bills,
fanned them out like this
and was like, "Look."
Always like this,
with his money, even today.
"You have nothing. Look at mine."
He always had money, always.
It wasn't like I was bragging about it
or spending it like crazy.
He hoarded it.
Frugal, very frugal.
And then I would always hide the rest
under my clothes in the closet.
So my sister wouldn't steal it.
He hoarded it. I spent it.
I think this conviction, this toughness,
and everything else,
I learnt from the street.
I had the same conviction and toughness
with the guys I played with too.
And then when I joined up with the pros,
I was ready right
from the very first training session,
I made it clear right away
that I was there to stay.
[crowd chanting]
[Lukas] But then we got changed
in the old catacombs.
When I walked in,
there's the shirt with the number 36
hanging there.
Everything you dreamed of as a kid
is suddenly real
and right in front of you.
It's not a dream any more,
the shirt is hanging there,
you put it on and basically walk out
onto the pitch with the team.
[commentator] Lukas Podolski,
welcome to the Bundesliga.
18 years young.
Not a minute with the first team,
but already a rising star.
[Lukas] I used to stand behind the goal,
on the side lines, as a fan.
[crowd chanting and shouting]
[Lukas] And suddenly you're
on the other side, part of it yourself.
And I remember thinking,
where am I right now?
And then the moment arrived,
the chance of a lifetime,
to make it at FC Cologne, at his club.
[commentator] Here we go!
Podolski!
He's got a good left foot.
It might have been a surprise
for some members of the family,
but it wasn't for me,
I always knew he would make it.
[commentator] Lottner.
Yes, well done, Podolski!
[reporter] Do you feel like you're
in a fairy tale at the moment?
Not really, it's just normal, as always.
One day I drove home from work
and when I pulled up
I saw that there was a car
parked in front of the house.
It was there sitting in my spot,
the spot where I always parked my car.
I gave him the keys upstairs and said,
"Come down with me.
I have something for you."
He came down, and there was an Audi A4.
He said, that's yours, it's a gift.
He can tell you
whether he was happy or not.
"What should I say? Wow, awesome!"
And he hugged me and kissed me
and couldn't hold back his tears.
Yeah, I don't know.
Did I cry? I couldn't tell you.
[exhales softly]
As a worker, it was impossible
for me to buy such a car, right? So
And, all of a sudden,
I get this car for free,
and an hour later,
I was driving straight to Wuppertal.
[soft music playing]
[camera shutter clicks]
[Monika] His dad accompanied him
to every training session
since he was little.
AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH MONIKA PODOLSKI
As a father,
he was definitely authoritarian.
But they also are so close
that they call each other every day
and tell each other everything.
The two of them have a very strong bond.
[Lukas] I must have inherited
some genes or something from my father,
because he was a footballer himself.
It's not just
what my father always told me,
that you can't get something for nothing,
but hard work is a big part of it.
My father always said, no matter what,
you shouldn't take things for granted.
But that you have to work for it.
It won't just fall into your lap.
You have to work for it.
And only then can you say you've made it.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] The Bundesliga returns
from the winter break
with a derby match between FC Cologne
and Borussia Mnchengladbach.
[interviewer] What was
the defining moment for you personally,
when you realised, okay, I've made it,
now I'm a professional player?
I think the goal
against Gladbach in the derby.
[commentator 1] Schrder with another
opportunity, and Podolski is free,
the ball is in the goal!
Goal for FC Cologne, Lukas Podolski!
[crowd roaring]
[Lukas] The noise from the home fans
and everything.
It gave things a real push,
especially in the media.
[commentator 1] Good cross! Gets it!
["Lola's Theme"
by The Shapeshifters playing]
FC Cologne takes the lead.
Yeah, it was a great goal, right?
Wasn't it?
[commentator 1] Podolski! 1-1!
[commentator 2] Podolski! And goal!
It's unbelievable!
THE POLDI FAIRY TALE
[Lukas] You go there
as an 18 or 19-year-old, you play,
and they chant your name and support you.
[commentator] Podolski!
And 2-0! A great goal!
It was unbelievable
what was going on,
especially as Lukas
hadn't been around that long.
But there weren't that many heroes,
young stars in Germany back then,
and with his funny personality,
people really wanted him.
[reporter] Not long ago,
he was cheering in the stands himself.
Now he has his own fans.
They write: "We want to have your baby."
They put their phone number underneath
or something, get in touch.
But I won't do that.
You don't have a driver's licence
or a girlfriend yet?
Of course, football always comes first.
[interviewer] What role did girls play
when he was a teenager?
- None at all.
- None at all.
I never had a girlfriend,
not even when I was a teenager.
I was just playing football all the time.
My friends would go out partying
in Cologne at the weekends,
and they'd always be saying
"I met this girl last night", and so on.
It's just the way guys talk
with each other, you know.
But I was always at home
or had a football match to play
on Saturday or Sunday.
I wasn't out partying.
But then one day a friend came and said,
"Hey, there's this Polish girl I know.
You're from Poland too, right?
She's blonde, you should meet her.
I'll introduce you to her."
So we met, talked and
that was it.
[Monika] So we arranged to meet
in the school yard,
at the ping-pong table.
Then we went to the gas station,
got something to drink.
And a Mars bar, I remember that.
And then we just went for a walk.
For half the night.
He talked a lot about football,
but also about his family,
and it became clear to me pretty quickly
that we had the same outlook on life.
And that's why
there was a second date and a third.
And his wedding, my goodness.
- What a wedding!
- [Maria] I can't even talk about it.
What a wedding.
Three days it lasted for. It made me cry.
- A dream.
- It made you want to cry.
- In the church.
- It was a dream.
[soft piano music playing]
[guests applauding]
Wonderful. Beautiful. All three days.
[music fades out]
[Monika] It was all so overwhelming.
At first I didn't know what to do,
but I had to grow into it.
But I was really happy for him,
because I knew
how important it was to him.
Not so much the fame and the glory,
but to play as a professional footballer
wearing the shirt.
[Lukas] She probably saw
right from the start
that I was putting
so much energy into everything,
that I was so focused
and really wanted it,
so she allowed it to happen,
even if it put her in second place.
But it meant she let me
to fulfil my dream.
I was with the U21 at the time
and then I got a call from Rudi Vller
to go to the training camp
with the senior national team.
2004 under Rudi Vller. Yeah?
Yes, that's when he started.
We were completely drained.
[commentator] Lukas Podolski will come on
as the second debutant
alongside Schweinsteiger.
Totally drained,
and then he didn't even let him go on.
[commentator] So far, no opportunity
to bring on Lukas Podolski.
He's still warming up.
And they're playing and we're saying,
why isn't he on the pitch yet?
[commentator] Now we have a break in play.
The Cologne player comes on
as the third youngest debutant
in the post-w*r history
of the German national team.
But then he came on. We were so happy.
Yes, we cheered at the top of our lungs.
[Lukas] Basti and me both made our debuts.
We gave it our all.
[commentator] Podolski, goal!
Yes! Ten minutes
before the break, it's 3-0.
And then it was the 2006 World Cup.
[ambient music playing]
[Jogi] The expectations were immense.
"AT THE WORLD CUP
WE'RE BANKING ALL ON POLDI"
Everyone thought that Lukas Podolski
could single-handedly win us the cup.
I get the impression that people believe
you are personally going to win
the World Cup for Germany.
It's something I've seen in the press.
"Poldi will do it."
Does that make you nervous
or can you handle that kind of pressure?
A lot is written by the press,
but I don't feel any pressure.
It's not something I worry about.
I love playing football
and that's what I want to show.
That's what he says.
You almost want to believe him.
[Jogi] He was completely focused
on what he needed to do,
and, of course, he also had this knack
of going into a match with a clear mind.
He was carefree.
[crowd chanting]
[Lukas] The 2006 World Cup
was simple for me.
You're there,
so give it your all and just play.
[commentator] And here we go!
Counterattack by Schneider, Podolski!
A great goal!
That's divine! That is wonderful!
Klose, Klose stands by the keeper
Goal!
Goal by Lukas Podolski!
I was at every game,
I watched them all from start to finish.
We were there in person for every game.
[commentator] Klose!
Podolski again! I don't believe it!
[crowd roaring]
[commentator] Unbelievable!
[camera clicks]
[Bastian] When I hear
"Poldi and Schweini"
I get this glow inside me, this joy.
[Bastian] Lukas, get up.
Let's go! It's time for the match!
Get up, lazy butt.
So we're like, two good friends
that get along really well.
That's how it was at the end of the day.
[Bastian] That's how
the scumbag feeds himself.
- That's what he eats.
- Oh man, Schweini.
[Bastian laughs]
[Monika] I was there, too.
We women were allowed
to visit the guys on certain days.
I brought a bag of crisps with me.
They were actually mine, not Lukas's.
And that's why I found it so funny
when that came out.
That Lukas eats like that.
[Bastian laughs] Look at that.
The good thing about us was that
we clicked incredibly well on the pitch.
We got along very well and just had fun.
And the people They loved it.
[commentator] Germany, Argentina.
There's extra time
with a penalty sh**t-out.
QUARTER-FINALS
If there's one thing he doesn't do,
it's sh*t his pants.
It didn't matter if it was a penalty,
or an opponent, or a teammate.
[commentator] Both teams
have always won the penalty sh**t-outs
at previous World Cups.
Today it will be different.
[Bastian] I can remember difficult moments
like the penalty against Argentina.
We were gathered there
and the coach asked who felt ready,
who wanted to take a penalty.
So I said, yeah, I'm ready,
I want to take one.
I think I was second or third in line.
I'd been substituted by that point.
I couldn't take a penalty.
Thank God he was there.
[commentator] Now Lukas Podolski.
[Lukas] That's what it takes
to be a professional.
To be ready, to believe in yourself,
and then just put the ball
where it needs to go.
[commentator] Lukas steps up.
Podolski!
[crowd roaring]
He didn't give a damn.
[Waldemar] We would drive
all over Germany for every game.
And Lukas organised everything.
We had a car, hotel, food,
and everything, tickets.
UNCLE
After the match Lukas came by car.
Klinsmann let him go,
because his family had arrived.
And later that night,
we were driving back,
he was taking us to the hotel.
He was going too fast,
and the police pulled us over.
He took one look at Lukas, and
"Goodbye." He let us go.
Because he was speeding in the city.
- [interviewer] So he was like a god there.
- Yes.
Lukas Podolski has been voted
the best young player of the World Cup.
FIFA has opted for the 21-year-old
German international.
How do you feel in your first World Cup?
[reporter speaking German]
[in German] I'm happy.
I got an award yesterday
[in German] Man, man, man.
He's only with the women again.
Come on, Schweini. Get out of here.
Well, that World Cup was also
the first one for Ronaldo
and Messi also.
They were the same age group as Lukas.
And they were already
very good footballers back then.
But they voted for Lukas.
Of course it's a great motivation for me
to continue improving in my career.
It was a wonderful experience
for the whole family,
and especially for Lukas.
Like new! Five years younger.
Huh! At least!
- Yes, it's good, isn't it?
- You don't look 40, you look 30!
You can just keep playing,
you're perfect for the league.
- [Lukas] My head is starting to hurt.
- Yeah?
Mmm
[man] So, Lukas,
are you playing next season?
- [Lukas] Don't know.
- He doesn't know.
[suspenseful music playing]
[crowd chanting]
[man over speakers] Podolski!
The beginning of this year
was so tough for Lukas.
He doesn't say it, but I saw it.
Like, he wasn't, uh, in a good mood.
[commentator 1] Still 0-0 here
in the 87th minute.
Lukas Podolski, brought on 15 minutes ago
with an unedifying challenge there.
[commentator 2] Siedlecki with another
chance. That looks a strong challenge.
He could be in trouble here.
[Lukas] And you go f*ck, go f*ck.
Get f*cking sprinting,
f*cking pick up the ball and play.
We're 2-0 down.
But you talk to the walls.
f*cking play,
you have to watch yourself on the pitch.
Maybe he wasn't feeling comfortable
with that need to make the decision.
[gentle music playing]
[Michal] He was not present
for a few weeks.
He said, "I will let you know
in the end of January."
He didn't do that.
Now, "I need two more weeks."
"I need to speak with Monika."
He doesn't say anything.
What is in his head.
[Monika] It definitely got him thinking.
He was torn.
He even asked the kids what he should do.
[Monika] Do you want chicken?
Or do you want a sausage?
Chicken? Okay.
[Monika] He said, "What do you think,
should Daddy keep playing?"
I can tell when it's on his mind,
it's hard for him.
He really doesn't know what to do.
[girls giggling]
Sometimes I think, enough is enough.
Sometimes I think, come on.
When you see
that you can keep up in training,
that you can hold your own
in the Polish league, uh
then you think, why should I give up doing
what I love so much?
[shouting] Ella!
[Lukas] There's no reason.
The only reason is for my family.
[groove music playing]
[Lukas imitates an engine revving]
[Lukas] These are the shots we need.
I have to pretend I'm pedalling, otherwise
people will know I'm riding an e-bike.
Yalla!
Ella.
Let's go, Ella. Billy goat.
Oh?
You can go straight there, honey.
You can go straight ahead.
[Lukas] Maya, you head
to the ice cream shop.
[Lukas mumbling softly]
- [Lukas] Let's keep going, okay?
- [Maya] Come on!
[Lukas] Whenever I'm at home
with my kids, my family,
then I feel the time has come to say
Let's focus on other things now.
[Monika] The children have had
to do without him for years too.
Ella is benefiting now the national team
is no longer in the picture.
He doesn't travel as much any more.
But I told him
if he wants to continue playing,
there has to be enough time for the kids.
[soft music playing]
[Lukas] I never really had the time
to stop and think about my playing career.
To sit and reflect,
"Where did I actually play?"
"Which were some of my best moments?"
That's when you can realise
what you've achieved
or what you still want to do.
[energetic music playing]
[reporters talking indistinctly]
[commentator] Germany's
most talented striker
is moving
to Germany's most successful club.
This will make him one of the most
valuable footballers in the world.
And there's the goal.
Lukas Podolski
scores his first goal for Bayern.
[interviewer] What was it like for you
when he moved to Munich?
- Well, if Bayern Munich wants someone
- Yes.
then we all go.
Here, money, money, and everything's good.
An apartment by the lake.
Wonderful, I'd go there too.
[crowd shouting]
[fans screaming]
[Lars] He was one of the young stars
of the World Cup.
That's the impression people had
when he went there.
Yeah, of course, he,
along with Bastian Schweinsteiger,
was a rising star for the national team,
in the Confed Cup and so on.
Expectations were high.
[whistle blows]
[Lukas] The only thing was that it was
the first time I was away from home.
I'd always lived with my parents.
The first time having
to take responsibility for myself.
The first time that it's not Dad
driving me to training,
and with my mum cooking at home.
[Monika] Munich was a huge step,
because it was outside of Cologne.
The family wasn't immediately available.
Lukas was always with his family.
[pensive music playing]
[Lukas] Away from my friends,
from my social circle.
You come to a new city
and you are on your own.
[people laughing
and chatting in background]
[Lukas] But I just focused
on the football.
[crowd shouting]
[Lukas] At the start,
everything was positive.
Prince Poldi, the boy from Cologne.
[crowd chanting and shouting]
[Lukas] But then you have one bad game.
[crowd whistling]
[Lukas] Then comes the criticism,
the newspapers.
BAYERN PLAYS "HIT THE LUKAS"
The media no longer protects you,
they start to attack you.
PODOLSKI AND THE BAVARIANS -
A MISUNDERSTANDING?
[Thomas] Then you start getting
fewer games, fewer opportunities
because there's a lot of competition
for places.
It's not for nothing that they say
that FC Bayern is like a shark tank.
THE PRINCE COUNTS FOR NOTHING IN BAVARIA
For me, personally, when I look back
at the games and all the stats,
I consider my time in Munich to have been
good from a sporting perspective.
Not top-top or amazing, but good.
[Monika] At Bayern, he couldn't always
play, so he had to prove himself.
It's a problem when you don't make
the starting line-up.
He just wants to play.
That's something you have to go through.
It was what it was.
[crowd shouting]
[Justina] It must have been
frustrating for him.
But he never showed it.
He never showed it to the outside world
or to anyone at the club.
I've never heard my brother complain.
If he's unhappy, you never notice it.
I think he's become so hardened
by all the situations,
by everything that happened.
[in German] Our greatest talent,
Lukas Podolski, is being criticised.
He's having a bit of a hard time.
Lukas, welcome to Harri's
European Championship club.
Nice to have you here.
[in heavy accent]
I'm so looking forward to the game.
[laughing]
Lukas, from what we hear
from Sbener Strae,
is it disappointing to be on the bench
with people like Luca Toni
and Miro Klose in front of you?
I don't care, I fight my way through.
We play for the team.
And I definitely have a contract
here at FC Bayern.
There is no communication problem
between Bayern and me.
I speak clearly.
So that all can understand me,
and all can make sense of it.
Everyone can say something too.
Do you even know anything about politics?
Do you even know how to vote?
[imitating Lukas] Of course I know
how to vote, you little piece of trash.
I even have redial on my Nokia.
[laughing]
[audience applauding]
For me, it was similar to the criticism
you can receive from playing sports.
It can be frustrating.
[imitating Lukas] Dear diary,
this is Lukas, right?
Professional football
is a bit like studying German, right?
You have to get a lot of points
and after a few years you're done
and don't know what to do.
[imitating Lukas] Basti Schweini
and I have to chase Philipp Lahm
through the FC Bayern clubhouse
with a wet towel, right?
And try to slap him on the butt, right?
So awesome.
They wanted to make fun of him
because he didn't speak German
as clearly as others did.
Of course, I wouldn't do that to someone
who is of Polish descent
knowing very little about his background,
where he's from, and so on.
To be honest
I think, what they were saying
went a bit over the line.
You're attacking his parents,
his grandmother on his mother's side.
As if to say
he wasn't taught the language properly.
None of us thought it was funny,
but what can you do about it?
What are you supposed to do
in that moment?
POLDI TAKES ACTION AGAINST WDR
I DON'T HAVE TO BE INSULTED LIKE THAT.
I think he's a bit of a stickler
for fairness.
So if he feels
like he's being treated unfairly,
he can definitely bark back.
[reporter] Even journalists covering
the last days of the German Cup
have been refused interviews.
He just marches past us
with the same statement every time.
"No, no, I'm not doing that."
[Lukas] No, no, I'm not doing that.
- [interviewer] What did that do to him?
- He thought things through more.
He was less carefree.
"What do people want?"
"Positive, negative,
what might happen if I say this or that?"
And I think that made him
grow up a little bit.
MUNICH, WRTHSEE
Over there in the distance.
The mountains are beautiful.
The lake here is stunning in the summer.
It's just awesome.
- [reporter] Do you swim?
- Sure, of course.
After the Euros, I go for a swim.
[cell phone ringing]
- [Lukas] My wife is calling.
- [both laughing]
Nah, it's no one
Hello?
Hello, how are you?
Can I call you back in five minutes?
[reporter] A true journalist.
[Monika] So up until Munich,
it was always just about football
and, of course, our relationship.
He didn't have many responsibilities.
[reporter in German] Good. Exactly.
[camera shutter clicks]
[gentle music playing]
[Monika] Then he becomes a dad,
which is something he's always wanted,
but is now happening.
Having such a little bundle of joy,
such a tiny human,
and then taking on that responsibility,
was truly overwhelming.
For him, but for me also.
[crowd cheering and shouting]
[Monika] Lukas was away
during the week and on weekends.
He was only at home maybe twice a week,
and I was left alone at home
with the baby.
As an athlete, you don't decide
for yourself where you're going.
You can be here one day
and then somewhere else the next.
[Monika] There are these special moments
in a child's life,
and often he wasn't there for them.
Back then, I cried a lot
whenever I was away from Louis.
When I knew I was going away
for three, four, five weeks at a time,
it was hard for me to want to leave.
I think that's just the sacrifice
you have to make as a footballer.
[Monika] He didn't act selfishly,
but then he didn't act differently either.
He just did his thing
We just carried on as before.
Only now we had a baby.
[chattering and shouting distantly]
- Okay, now.
- Yes, now. Now.
Play on the other side.
[Lukas] Hey!
[whistles] Keep going and be strong!
Bravo, Poldi! Keep going!
- Ay, ay, ay.
- Play!
[ball thumping]
[both groan]
Come on. Get your head on it!
Now!
[cheering and applauding]
[Lukas] Great goal!
Great, Louis!
Yes, son!
That's how it should be.
It's all about pressure.
When it's high, then people will work.
Like father, like son,
that's how the saying goes, right?
SON
Is good?
[interviewer] If we were to make
a documentary about your father,
what do you think
absolutely should be included?
His humour, his sense of fun
are definitely characteristics.
Most people already know that. But
- [chuckles]
- [Lukas laughs]
[Louis] And here he is.
[interviewer] Would you be okay
for him to listen in or
[Louis] Yes, sure.
And?
The composition is good,
and the lighting is framed nicely.
He's a funny dad, for sure.
He's still quite young too.
Well, yes, he loves to have fun.
We have a good time.
[interviewer] Does he
sometimes embarrass you?
No, not at all. Luckily not, no.
[interviewer] Describe
what he's like as a father.
[laughs softly]
Mmm
It's tough. You only have one father.
Limited edition.
[player shouts]
[Lukas] See, he didn't get that.
That's it, you see?
- [Waldemar] Yeah.
- You need to be greedy.
You have to coax that out of your players.
They have to need to puke.
All those boys out there,
they all want to become pros.
You have to be very lucky.
Avoid injuries, and
School is important too.
- What? Here he goes again.
- Yes, yes. It's important.
But a pro
What will be will be.
- Not bad.
- What?
I aimed for the near post.
I just hit it a bit hard.
From that position,
you've got to put it in the corner.
- Too tall. His legs were too long.
- You had too much time to think about it.
- Yes.
- Yes.
- I wanted to dribble past him.
- First hat trick, huh?
- Yes.
- All right.
Second or third at Grnik.
First hat trick this season.
[sniffs, then exhales]
- You coming home with me?
- Yes.
- Then go shower, see you soon.
- Okay.
[Lukas] But hurry up, not like normal.
[Lukas] That's what happens
when you overthink things.
You've got to hit it with the instep,
right into the corner, the instep.
- [Waldemar] It was so easy, right?
- Too easy, yes.
[Louis] I often ask him if he wants
to keep playing or if he wants to stop.
But he always says he's still enjoying it.
He still loves football
as much as he always has done.
[distant car horn blares]
[Louis] My father has also told me
a lot of stories
about how he first got into football.
This is his home. He was born here.
This is where he learnt
to play the game, so to speak.
[chattering in background]
[Lukas] I've always felt responsibility
at the clubs I've played for.
Especially here,
because it's kind of my home town club.
And, of course, there's a responsibility
because I know they need me
both on and off the pitch.
[whimsical music playing]
The club is currently
in a difficult financial situation.
I just wanted to come here for a year,
play, and then call it quits.
But then I felt that drive again,
like with all my businesses:
"Okay, now I'm going to try
to make a difference with this club."
Now it's time.
We want to renovate
the fitness and spa centre.
YOUTH ACADEMY GRNIK ZABRZE
We plan to invest here.
[overlapping conversations]
[boys, in Polish] Hello.
[Lukas] Go on! Carry on
with the swearing and all that.
What? No more?
- Training or match?
- Training.
[Lukas] This is not meant to be
a five-star facility.
We have to retain
the character of the place.
[man] This is where the rooms will be,
where we'll install cold and hot pools.
And the sauna will go here, right?
Sauna or shower. Back in the day,
all of this used to work.
I'll quickly go get the architect.
She can talk you through the first drafts.
We can actually build something here.
Invest. Motivate people.
So they can see
that things are moving forward.
Slowly, but going in the right direction.
[woman] This is what I suggest
for the floor. It's the 0.5 tile.
- [Lukas] And for the wall?
- Maybe this one.
But I'm also considering this option.
What about if we use the same tiles
for the floor as we do for the wall?
We could do that.
It's completely up to you, of course.
Then let's use that one
and maybe that one too.
- So let's go in that direction.
- All good.
If the person that keeps the club going,
and who is the leader, were to leave,
then that could have
some quite serious consequences.
The club is not yet in a position
just to say,
okay, we can carry on without him.
Therefore, the leader will naturally feel
a responsibility for the team,
the people, the fans, and the region.
And I definitely feel
that responsibility in this case.
[electronic music playing]
Oh.
COLOGNE
Now that Lukas has been in Poland
for the past few years,
and he's spent a lot of time
with his family there,
I think he's feeling much more settled
and at home.
In Poland,
he's found a kind of home again,
but Cologne will be forever his real home.
[Lukas] Welcome to the Kran Houses.
So let's let some air in.
LUKAS'S APARTMENCOLOGNE
[Lukas] Wonderful, wonderful.
It looks like a
Like a postcard.
[shouting] Viva Colonia!
- [Lukas] I can just pull it over, right?
- [man] Yeah.
[man] Okay, put on the shirt.
And then we'll do that one there.
It looks a bit like Santa Claus. [laughs]
It fits like a glove.
- Does it stay open?
- No, no.
Alaaf.
[upbeat music playing]
- [man] Morning.
- [Lukas] Morning.
- Morning, Lukas. My name is Andreas.
- [Lukas] Morning. Morning.
Hello. Morning.
Morning.
[Lukas laughing]
Do you any have music on the float?
Do you have everything you need?
All good. You're more nervous
than everyone else.
No, there has to be a bit of planning.
It's important.
- Organisation.
- Have fun.
Here we go. Hey.
[man] It's great to have you here.
Have fun today!
For Lukas Podolski, three times Klle.
- Alaaf!
- [man] Lukas!
- Alaaf!
- [man] And again!
[crowd cheering and shouting]
[Lukas] Hey, check that out.
Home can be anywhere. But of course,
Cologne means a lot to me, 100%.
[emotional music playing]
- Prince Poldi should come back to Cologne.
- [reporter] Why?
He's a good player
and Bayern isn't using him anyway.
COME HOME, POLDI
COLOGNE IS COLLECTING MONEY
FOR PODOLSKI
[choir singing]
Bring Lukas, bring Lukas back home
All of Cologne wanted the prodigal son
to return to their home club.
PODOLSKI TRANSFER COMPLETE
I wanted to return to FC Cologne, because
I was excited about the club again,
to be with the fans, because I missed it.
My love for the stadium,
for the stands, it never went away.
I've always been one of the fans
in the stands, an Ultra.
Here's another photo for you.
[Lukas] The hype, the euphoria.
There were 30,000 fans at training.
Every media outlet was there.
Everyone reported on it.
And of course, I was happy.
Everyone was texting me,
saying that Poldi was finally coming home.
My phone just exploded.
- Lukas Podolski!
- Lukas Podolski!
[overlapping chattering]
His return gave the club a huge boost.
It restored faith in the great FC Cologne.
This club needs a face.
And that face is Lukas Podolski.
[crowd chanting and cheering]
[Lukas] I'm the kind of person
who always wants to give 100%.
[gentle music playing]
As a footballer,
you're always in the zone.
You only ever see the ball,
it's all training, the matches.
And sometimes it's easy to miss
what's going on around you.
[Monika] In Cologne, it was sometimes
so crazy. You couldn't even go out.
Crowds of people would come at you.
Take a picture!
[Monika] It was difficult for me,
I had a hard time dealing with it all.
That I had to share him
with millions of people
day after day after day.
Maybe I was just going through a phase
where I needed more of him.
[laughing]
[Lukas] I would play a match
and the next day, on Sunday,
instead of being at home with Monika
or maybe going for a walk with Louis,
I was hanging out
on the football pitch with my friends
and afterwards getting some food with them
instead of doing something with my family.
[laughing]
Maybe I was simply carrying on living
the way I thought I had to back then.
[Monika] And that's when I said,
"Why don't you go back to the apartment?"
"Let's take a break.
We need to think things through."
"Because when we're together,
you get on my nerves."
I yell at you and you yell at me."
There were some difficult times in Cologne
when we didn't speak
to each other for a few weeks.
There were times
when we were always arguing,
when we weren't together for a while.
[Monika] And when
you're actually physically apart,
that's when you start thinking
about things clearly.
And once you come to the conclusion
that you can't live without each other,
you need to find solutions
to make things better.
You get there through talking,
through the emotions and
conversations.
And then one side has to say yes,
and the other side has to agree.
[hopeful music playing]
Somehow, life pulled us back together.
I also believe in our story,
that we've been on this journey together
from the very start,
that we got to know each other first
as, let's say, "normal people"
in quotation marks.
And that has strengthened us as people.
[whistle blows]
[crowd chanting]
[Monika] Lukas wanted to return to Cologne
because he missed his family,
he missed his friends,
and really he just missed the club.
[crowd roaring]
[Monika] But he probably underestimated
what that would mean for him.
The joy of playing football
was there, of course,
but you could tell that it just wasn't
the same as it used to be.
[pensive music playing]
[Lukas] Of course, you come back
as a superstar and everyone is watching,
the media, all the players.
And it was like, "Podolski,
now it's your turn" so to speak.
[commentator] Now the pass for Podolski,
Lukas Podolski on his left!
[crowd shouting]
AFTER A FALSE START, COLOGNE PINS ITS HOPE
ON PODOLSKI, NOVAKOVIC AND MANICHE
He was always the one
everything depended on.
He couldn't live up to the expectations,
not from the position he was playing.
[commentator] Philipp Lahm.
But who intercepts the pass?
Lukas Podolski.
[Lukas] I think that was indeed a problem,
and the people in charge
didn't protect me either.
They just let everything run its course.
I'm not saying
that they threw me to the wolves,
but they said, "So, Lukas,
see if you can manage on your own."
AN ETERNAL UP AND DOWN
There was no FC Cologne,
I think it was only FC Lukas Podolski.
THE DOUBTING PRINCE
RELEGATION BATTLE
Podolski alone couldn't guarantee
the team would avoid relegation.
[crowd shouting and whistling]
[commentator] The final whistle
and it's a very unpleasant ending.
The players are heading down the tunnel
and have no chance to say goodbye.
It's the final blow on a black Saturday.
RELEGATION IN COLOGNE
Yes, obviously, this is the hardest time
for me right now, in recent years.
And if you get relegated
on the last match day, well
BLACK DAY FOR PODOLSKI
[Monika] He thought, "I'm going back
to Cologne and staying there forever."
MY PRINCE!
TAKE CARE
But then, at some point, he realised
that it wasn't quite what he had in mind.
[announcement over PA]
[Monika] He said, "I think I need
something else to help me develop further,
to gain new experiences."
[Lukas] There are players
who have never left Germany.
Who have only played for one or two clubs.
I'm different.
When I got the call from Arsne Wenger,
I didn't think twice.
London, Arsenal, the stadium, the coach.
Everything worked.
I packed my bags and I left.
COLOGNE - LONDON
[upbeat music playing]
[interviewer] We have Arsenal footage
that we'd like to use.
- But it costs so much money.
- It has to come out of your budget.
How many people are involved in all this?
Simone, Nico, Gerrit, Frank,
Pivo, and here, the boss.
Everyone chips in, then we have it.
THE MONEY WASN'T RAISED.
THEREFORE, HERE IS A PHOTO.
[crowd roaring]
Okay, Lukas, great to meet you, mate.
You're gonna learn
a little bit of London slang.
We used to always say it,
going up the apples and pears, stairs.
Can you repeat that one, mate?
Apples and sta
[both laughing]
Then came the request from Inter Milan.
We had a good conversation.
LONDON - MILAN
[crowd shouting]
"SLOW AND SLUGGISH"
SHARP CRITICISM OF PODOLSKI
But hindsight is 20/20.
MILAN - ISTANBUL
[crowd shouting]
[Lukas] I've always felt
a connection to Turkey.
Because of the Turkish friends I have.
I was proud when the offer came in.
I didn't really think twice
before accepting it.
And I had a really great time there.
[commentator] A header,
the ball goes in to the back of the net.
Lukas Podolski, Galatasaray is 1-0 up.
[Lukas] And when the offer
from Japan came in, we said,
okay, let's take that step.
We also wanted to experience
something new as a family.
Mature as people,
get to know a new culture.
And that's why we did it.
[crowd cheering]
We spent four days filming in Japan.
Why did you want to do that especially?
[electronic Japanese music playing]
[Lukas] I love Japan.
There's such a great atmosphere.
Konnichiwa.
Good food.
[groans]
The people are relaxed.
[street artist beatboxing]
There are structures. There are rules.
Three, two, one, bam.
Twenty-nine.
There are onsen. There are things to see.
Lots of nature and so on.
[groans]
[exclaims]
[Lukas] The most important thing.
Lather it up nicely.
Soap up the pipe.
Just like in your house.
The pipes have to run clear.
And sumo.
[man] Ready? Go.
[men exclaim]
[Lukas grunts]
- [Lukas shouts]
- [men laughing]
One more, one more!
[in Japanese] Thank you very much!
[Lukas] It was nice to be there,
and I think it was important.
[groans]
That's why I wanted to go to Japan.
[both laughing]
[both exclaim]
- [Lukas] Oh-eh!
- [chuckles]
[in Japanese] Thank you,
thank you very much.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- Good. You?
- Good.
- All right. Today, today win, huh?
- Yeah.
- Huh?
- Only win. And you? Good?
Good, yeah, good, good.
- You
- See you after the game, okay?
[crowd shouting distantly]
- You look good fit, you look fit.
- [Lukas] Yeah, I'm still in shape, yeah.
- Do you play?
- Yeah, I still play, yeah. In Poland.
- Yes?
- Yeah.
- What club?
- Grnik. Grnik Zabrze.
This will be the last season?
[Lucas] Yeah. Maybe finish, yeah.
- In May?
- May, season finish then.
FORMER TEAMMATE
[Lukas] I would think. Maybe.
Maybe one more year, I don't know.
[interviewer] Can you actually
picture him retired?
Do you think he's gonna adapt
to life after football?
Well, I haven't played
for two months now, you know.
But Lukas is a person who
Who's always thinking about other things
outside of football.
[hopeful music playing]
And the most important thing
when you're outside of football,
is to try to find these ideas,
these motivations, these projects
that you can have in your life.
So the issue is
- we currently don't have a kids' menu.
- Yes.
But we are seeing a lot of families
who come in and say
they'd like to see a kids' menu.
That's why we've been looking
at what we could do.
- [Lukas] This is the prototype now?
- Yes, exactly.
- We'd also make a new carnival cup.
- Exactly.
Carnival, World Cup, European Championship
in German colours, for example.
Let's get this Poldi cup out right away,
with my face on it.
If you communicate that well,
then I think people will be into it.
I think it's great.
- Let's go for it.
- [Lukas] Yep.
[Lukas] I've got my business ventures
and I enjoy them.
I invest just as much in them
as I do in football.
But something has to suffer as a result.
Sure, I'd love to be sitting
at home right now.
But I can rest when I'm six feet under.
Sure, I have a family, kids,
but I also have a responsibility
to all the other projects
I'm involved with.
[crowd shouting distantly]
[commentator] So now it's two against two
for the last seconds.
Now they have to finish. Kruse! Max Kruse!
- Wow, Max "Shisha" Kruse.
- [laughs]
- [commentator] 4-2.
- [both laughing]
How much sleep do you get
when you're here?
Yeah, we played an away game
the day before yesterday.
- We got home at 3 a.m.
- Wow, that's late.
- Training this morning and then here.
- So busy, then.
You can tell that he's usually
a little worn out, a bit tired.
I don't think he gets the chance
to sleep much.
Then he texts me at 6 a.m. or something.
[Lukas] Oh.
[Lukas groans]
You have less time for personal things.
But you can't have it all.
You have to be willing to make sacrifices.
But I think that when football is
no longer the main focus,
then I'll have more energy,
more power, and more free time.
- [interviewer] It's a bit of a paradox.
- What's a paradox?
On the one hand you say you'd like
to have more time for your family,
and to spend more time at home,
with the kids,
but at the same time you take
a two-hour flight to Berlin
for the Baller League
- Did I say that?
- Yes.
As long as the businesses are doing well
and as long as you're active and so on,
you have to be able
to manage it all somehow.
But it's always been like that, so
[interviewer] But why are you starting
all these businesses?
I don't know.
[camera shutter clicks]
[Monika] To achieve something,
to live a better life,
you have to work for it.
That's the mindset he grew up with,
he experienced it first hand.
And he still has it. He's never let it go.
[electronic music playing]
[vehicles speeding past]
[music turns soft]
[Monika] He just can't stand still.
Standing still is a problem for him.
In general, he's the kind of person
who always has to be doing something.
That's when he's happy.
[interviewer] Do you think
your businesses will ever fulfil you
in the way that football does?
No, I don't think so, no.
SUPPOSED LAST SEASON
[chattering in background]
Everyone asks what's next,
what's next for Lukas.
Of course I feel good,
there are no conflicts,
the games have been going pretty well.
But then there is also a lack of life.
So these are my thoughts, you know?
We're in a bit of a hurry, we want
to know which way we're going.
[gentle music playing]
[Lukas] When you think you're always
going to be doing something
and then it stops,
what's the alternative on offer?
There aren't any alternatives.
The only thing to do
is to continue playing the sport
so you have something to do
with your life,
but then that's not really
an option here, is it?
There is no alternative for me.
[clears throat]
If you lose your job, you can go
to another company and do it there.
The only things that remain
are the businesses and my family.
And whether I'll be missing something
in my life, I don't know.
But you'll never get that thing back.
[in German] Be very quiet.
[whispering]
The best sauna, the very best.
[inhales and exhales deeply]
[inhales and exhales deeply]
Sure, there are always times
when you think it's too much.
And that maybe you should just quit.
But then something always makes you
change your mind and you think,
no, just keep going.
And so there are always
these oscillations.
That's the type of sh*t I'm talking about.
[groaning softly]
[exhales]
[Lukas] But at some point
you have to make a decision.
[exhales deeply, sniffs]
[inhales and exhales deeply]
[Lukas] And I'm ready to make a decision.
1 DAY
BEFORE THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON
[Lukas] What's the date? May 23rd.
I never thought I'd play until I was 40.
Unfortunately, I don't have a suit today,
but this is my style,
this is my character.
- Then we wait and see.
- [Michal] Right.
[Bartlomiej]
Yes, that's exactly what it is.
- You have to do your buttons up.
- That much I know
I don't wear suits myself.
But I know that you have
to fasten the buttons for a photo.
[interviewer] What led you to decide
to continue playing for next season?
I'd rather keep going and then retire
at some point in the future,
instead of stopping now and lying
on a beach somewhere for three months.
Watching how the club is performing,
how the team is doing
in the training camp,
I wanted to keep being a part of it.
LUKAS PODOLSKI EXTENDS
FOR ONE YEAR IN ZABRZE.
A YEAR LATER, HE WINS
THE POLISH CUP WITH GRNIK.
There are plenty of opportunities
where I can bring my experience,
something I'm already doing.
For me, it's important
that we have good shirts,
because when you have good shirts
people will buy it.
And what I might do
a little more of in the near future.
I'm in the process of taking over
the club's shares from the city.
I would say that it keeps me
alive and fulfilled.
I would say
that I'm still involved in football.
f*cking awesome!
[Monika] He's letting go,
not 100% yet,
but it's slowly going in that direction.
It's all just a process,
just as these past 20 years
have been a process.
And he has to realise,
"Okay, I've already achieved a lot,
and I can start to take it easy
and slow down a little."
[children and Lukas shouting]
Ella is coming!
40TH BIRTHDAY
[Lukas] I'm someone who lives
in the here and now,
in the present moment,
and I'll fill my day with life,
no matter what that entails.
Someone who is happy, who laughs,
who has a sense of humour.
That's how it's going to be.
What will be will be,
as they say in Cologne.
Look, left foot, with a view of the sea.
It can still do a bit.
The left one doesn't want to stop yet.
[interviewer] Last question.
In every sports documentary,
they always show Mario Gtze's goal
in the 2014 World Cup final.
What should we do
with the goal in this one?
Do it here AI.
[commentator] Schrrle. He's there!
And make it so it looks like I scored it.
[commentator] Do it! He does it!
Lukas Podolski!
["Feel the Heat of the Night"
by Masterboy playing]
Feel the heat of the night
Everything's all right
Feel the power of my heart
Give me all
Put all the titles in there,
or the 2014 World Cup,
put it all in the credits
and then people will see it anyway.
They'll see everything that happened,
and what we've won,
and they'll get to see the trophy again.
[both singing]
[cheering and laughing]
Jumping, jumping up and down
[commentator 1] Lukas Podolski says
goodbye to the national team.
[commentator 2] Podolski!
No! I don't believe it!
I don't believe it!
Sensational! A wonderful goal!
That way, it's included
in the documentary too.
- [interviewer] Yes, of course.
- Or not?
At the end, yes.
If not, then they'll just have
to watch it on YouTube, won't they?
Feel the heat of the night
Everything's all right
Feel the power of my heart
Give me all your love
All you need is feel right now
All you need is feel my love
FOR HELENE PODOLSKI
Feel the heat of the night
[music ends]
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Poldi (2026)
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