What Is Lukas Podolski Doing Now? From Arsenal Star to Club Owner and Kebab Boss
Lukas Podolski has finally called time on a playing career that lasted more than two decades, but retirement does not appear to mean slowing down.
In fact, the former Arsenal and Germany striker may now be busier than ever.
Podolski played his final professional match for Górnik Zabrze in May 2026, coming off the bench in a 6-2 victory over Radomiak Radom. The result helped Górnik finish second in Poland’s top division and brought an end to a playing career that began with FC Köln back in 2003.
However, there was a rather unusual twist to his final week as a professional footballer.
Just days before playing his last game for Górnik, Podolski became the club’s majority owner.
Lukas Podolski Buys Górnik Zabrze
Podolski’s company, LP Holding GmbH, completed a deal to acquire an 86% stake in Górnik Zabrze in May.
The move had been building for some time. LP Holding had already purchased around 8.3% of the club in December 2025, making Podolski its second-largest shareholder. The bigger deal followed five months later, when Zabrze city councillors unanimously backed the sale of the majority shareholding.
This isn’t simply another former footballer buying into a club because it looks like an interesting investment.
Górnik means something to Podolski.
He was born in Gliwice in Poland before moving to Germany as a young child, and Górnik was the club supported by his grandmother. Podolski has spoken regularly about following the team during childhood visits to Poland.
That connection eventually brought him back as a player in 2021.
Four years later he began buying shares in the club, and now he effectively finds himself on the other side of the table.
Instead of worrying about scoring goals, he is responsible for helping to build the club that employs the players who score them.
From Arsenal to World Cup Winner
English football fans will probably remember Podolski best from his three years at Arsenal.
He joined the Gunners from Köln in 2012 and became popular with supporters, helped considerably by that famously powerful left foot.
His wider career took him from Köln to Bayern Munich before a return to his hometown club. Arsenal followed, along with spells at Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe, Antalyaspor and finally Górnik.
His international career was even more impressive.
Podolski won 130 caps for Germany and scored 49 international goals, with the biggest moment arriving when Germany won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
By the time he retired at 40, there wasn’t much missing from his football CV.
Perhaps more interesting, though, is the career he was quietly building away from football.
Lukas Podolski’s Kebab Business
Podolski has become one of those footballers whose business interests could eventually be almost as well known as his playing career.
The best known is Mangal x Lukas Podolski, his döner kebab business.
It is far from being a single celebrity restaurant with Podolski’s name attached to the sign.
The company’s own website currently lists more than 34 branches across more than 20 cities. Podolski says his interest in the business came from eating döner from childhood and wanting to produce a simple product using fresh ingredients.
It fits his image rather well.
Podolski has never tried to present himself as the former footballer opening an expensive fine-dining restaurant. He has instead built a business around the sort of food he genuinely likes.
And kebabs are only part of it.
Ice Cream, Clothing and Investments
Podolski is also behind Ice Cream United, which started with an ice cream shop in Cologne and later expanded into Japan, where Podolski previously played for Vissel Kobe.
Then there is Strassenkicker, his clothing and lifestyle brand, alongside the Strassenkicker Base sports facility in Cologne.
In June 2026, another project was added to the list when Podolski helped launch Kagami Studios, a venture business that plans to create companies, invest in existing businesses and work on projects across sport, media and marketing.
Suddenly, buying a football club does not look quite so unexpected.
Podolski has been building businesses alongside his playing career for years.
Now football no longer has to come first.
What Is Lukas Podolski Doing Now?
For the moment, the simple answer is that Lukas Podolski has gone from playing for Górnik Zabrze to owning most of it.
His LP Holding company now controls 86% of the club, and he arrives as owner at an interesting time. Górnik finished second in the league during Podolski’s final season and also won the Polish Cup.
There will therefore be expectations about what comes next.
Podolski has previously said that he wants the club to develop on strong sporting, organisational and business foundations.
His own career gives him an unusual mix of experience for the job.
He knows elite football, has played in several countries, understands what it means to be a supporter of the club and already has years of experience building businesses away from the pitch.
Many footballers retire and spend the next few years trying to work out what comes next.
Lukas Podolski appears to have spent the final years of his playing career making sure he already knew the answer.
