Istanbul; one city, 15 million inhabitants, two continents, one Lukas Podolski. The World Cup winner transferred from Arsenal to Galatasary in Turkey this summer. After a difficult year in London, and a loan to Inter Milan, Podolski wants a fresh start on the Bosporus. The 30-year-old is currently with the national side in Frankfurt, who have European Championship qualifiers against Poland on Friday (20:45 CEST) and Scotland on Monday (20:45) to prepare for. In a DFB interview with Steffen Lüdeke, Lukas Podolski discusses his new life in Turkey, his ambitions with the Germany national side and the special nature of the upcoming match against Poland.
DFB.de: Mr. Podolski, the Süper Lig is underway, and Galatasary have started the season with a win, a draw and a loss. How pleased are you with these results?
Lukas Podolski: Galatasary are defending champions, and I think we have to expect more from current title holders. We were especially disappointed after the first home game, which we lost. It was important that we won the last match before the international break. We have only scored four times, which whilst not being a disaster, isn’t great. There are three points separating us and first place, and we have the whole season to correct this.
DFB.de: As well as the points, there is another number which you will have been paying attention to: 258 minutes of football. You have played almost every minute so far this season, is this even more important for you?
Podolski: I am a team player, so the most important thing are the results we get as a team. It's clear though, that it will do me good to get games. I am a footballer, I want to play, and I feel most confident when I'm on the pitch. In the last six months I have not played as much as I would have liked, so I am very happy to finally get back into my rhythm.
DFB.de: You have noticed already then that the game time is doing you good?
Podolski: Of course. Games, successful passages of play, and goals, all help you to improve as a player and to get more confident. It doesn’t help anyone not to play, you don’t improve sitting on the bench. Generally, I feel very good at the moment. I have had a long holiday, a good pre-season and am now playing games regularly. Of course this can only be only positive. No training in the world can replicate match practice.
DFB.de: You’ve transferred from London to Istanbul. How do you rate your three years at Arsenal?
Podolski: I had a brilliant time overall, at an amazing club in an amazing city. Two years were very successful for me personally, the last six months were difficult, but everything prior to that was positive.
DFB.de: Are you aware of your goal record at Arsenal?
Podolski: Yes, but I don’t shout about it.
DFB.de: You scored every 170 minutes in the premier league, and you were involved in a goal every 140 minutes. Furthermore, you were successful every 80 minutes in the Champions League.
Podolski: That’s all true, but I’m not going to sit down and tell everyone about my record. I know what happened and that I enjoyed a good period there. If certain people outside of the club want to see if differently then I can’t change that. It doesn’t have any influence though over my opinion of Arsenal. I won’t allow people to tell me how successful I was there. Arsenal is in the past though, and now only Galatasary matters.
DFB.de: How have you settled in to Istanbul so far? Apparently you have already found a house on the Bosporus, and are no longer living in hotels.
Podolski: I’m not 100% on the house yet. I hope to sort this out quickly after the international break. I’m pleased that the transfer didn’t happen in the last hour, as it meant everything was calm and stress free. I could prepare myself for the club and the city, and I don’t have a bad word to say about anything so far.
DFB.de: When you arrived in Istanbul you were greeted by hundreds of fans – were you surprised by this?
Podolski: I was very happy, my arrival generally was amazing. I was welcomed at the club, in the team, by my teammates. I feel very comfortable already. I’ve been taken by the mentality of people in Turkey; they are all very friendly, and generally enjoying life. I like Istanbul a lot too, the stadium, the city. I hope that my next three, four years here are very successful.
DFB.de: Is there anything that has surprised you since arriving at Galatasary? Is training at all different?
Podolski: Not surprised. I still need to adjust to the temperatures, which is a big change. It is very hot and humid, which I’ve not really experienced before. The kick off times are new for me too, as in the Süper Lig they usually don’t start until 21:00 or 22:00 CEST, which will take some getting used to. I’m not really a fan of the late kick off.
DFB.de: Why?
Podolski: Primarily because of the fans. I think it’s a big reason why the attendance figures are not generally higher. If a game doesn’t start until 22:00 CEST, then it’s almost impossible for families with children to come to the stadium. It would very different if the games took place in the afternoon.
DFB.de: Have you got your head around the sheer size of Istanbul yet? The city has 15 million inhabitants.
Podolski: Officially. I’ve been told that there are many more. It will take a while for me to get to know the city properly. You can’t experience Istanbul in a couple of days.
DFB.de: The city is very full, the streets are packed. How often has the traffic been a problem?
Podolski: Everyone knows this, and so you have to adjust to it. I’ve had no problems so far, but it is remarkable.
DFB.de: You won’t yet speak Turkish fluently. How is it communicating in training?
Podolski: It’s very straightforward. Almost all the players speak English, and if not then we have an interpreter. Furthermore, there are some players in the squad with German backgrounds and who can speak German. It’s very easy for me generally, I haven’t had any problems with communication.
DFB.de: Jupp Derwall, Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, Reinhard Saftig or Reiner Hollmann – many German coaches have been involved with your Turkish side. Have you noticed a German influence at all?
Podolski: I don’t know whether that’s because of any particular German influence. I do get the impression though that Gala is a very well organised and well-structured club. The facilities are top class, and the club is very professional in all aspects. I have noticed too, that German footballers and coaches have a good reputation in Istanbul. That doesn’t just apply to Galatasary.
DFB.de: One aspect of your transfer to Galatasary was the fact that you have the opportunity to play Champions League here. Gala are in a group with Atletico Madrid, Astana and Benfica Lissabon. Do you think you have a good chance of progressing?
Podolski: I have respect for every team we come up against, but we have the quality to compete in this group. The first game will be very important. We start at home against Atletico, and we want to make a statement of intent. We have to use our home advantage, our fans are incredible and so we should be able to do anything with their support. I am very optimistic that we will still be in the competition after the group stages. After that we will have to see, anything is possible over two legs in the knockout rounds.
DFB.de: On Friday you’ve got the game against Poland in the European Championship qualification - the country in which you were born. Is this special for you or have you grown accustomed to it? It’s not the first time you’ve played Poland…
Podolski: Much like most things in life, the first time is always very special. The first time on a rollercoaster is amazing, and after the tenth time it’s still fun but the initial excitement wears off. That doesn’t mean that a match against Poland is not special for me, and it certainly won’t ever become ordinary. I’m playing against the country in which I was born, and where a big part of my family still live. Naturally this game has a lot of emotions associated with it.
DFB.de: How do you see it from a footballing perspective?
Podolski: The Poles are first place in the group, and we want to change this. We know their strengths, but we also know what we are capable of. We are world champions, we are playing at home and we want to win. Ideally, we would qualify in first place with Poland behind us in second. I don’t think that’s that unrealistic.
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Istanbul; one city, 15 million inhabitants, two continents, one Lukas Podolski. The World Cup winner transferred from Arsenal to Galatasary in Turkey this summer. After a difficult year in London, and a loan to Inter Milan, Podolski wants a fresh start on the Bosporus. The 30-year-old is currently with the national side in Frankfurt, who have European Championship qualifiers against Poland on Friday (20:45 CEST) and Scotland on Monday (20:45) to prepare for. In a DFB interview with Steffen Lüdeke, Lukas Podolski discusses his new life in Turkey, his ambitions with the Germany national side and the special nature of the upcoming match against Poland.
DFB.de: Mr. Podolski, the Süper Lig is underway, and Galatasary have started the season with a win, a draw and a loss. How pleased are you with these results?
Lukas Podolski: Galatasary are defending champions, and I think we have to expect more from current title holders. We were especially disappointed after the first home game, which we lost. It was important that we won the last match before the international break. We have only scored four times, which whilst not being a disaster, isn’t great. There are three points separating us and first place, and we have the whole season to correct this.
DFB.de: As well as the points, there is another number which you will have been paying attention to: 258 minutes of football. You have played almost every minute so far this season, is this even more important for you?
Podolski: I am a team player, so the most important thing are the results we get as a team. It's clear though, that it will do me good to get games. I am a footballer, I want to play, and I feel most confident when I'm on the pitch. In the last six months I have not played as much as I would have liked, so I am very happy to finally get back into my rhythm.
DFB.de: You have noticed already then that the game time is doing you good?
Podolski: Of course. Games, successful passages of play, and goals, all help you to improve as a player and to get more confident. It doesn’t help anyone not to play, you don’t improve sitting on the bench. Generally, I feel very good at the moment. I have had a long holiday, a good pre-season and am now playing games regularly. Of course this can only be only positive. No training in the world can replicate match practice.
DFB.de: You’ve transferred from London to Istanbul. How do you rate your three years at Arsenal?
Podolski: I had a brilliant time overall, at an amazing club in an amazing city. Two years were very successful for me personally, the last six months were difficult, but everything prior to that was positive.
DFB.de: Are you aware of your goal record at Arsenal?
Podolski: Yes, but I don’t shout about it.
DFB.de: You scored every 170 minutes in the premier league, and you were involved in a goal every 140 minutes. Furthermore, you were successful every 80 minutes in the Champions League.
Podolski: That’s all true, but I’m not going to sit down and tell everyone about my record. I know what happened and that I enjoyed a good period there. If certain people outside of the club want to see if differently then I can’t change that. It doesn’t have any influence though over my opinion of Arsenal. I won’t allow people to tell me how successful I was there. Arsenal is in the past though, and now only Galatasary matters.
DFB.de: How have you settled in to Istanbul so far? Apparently you have already found a house on the Bosporus, and are no longer living in hotels.
Podolski: I’m not 100% on the house yet. I hope to sort this out quickly after the international break. I’m pleased that the transfer didn’t happen in the last hour, as it meant everything was calm and stress free. I could prepare myself for the club and the city, and I don’t have a bad word to say about anything so far.
DFB.de: When you arrived in Istanbul you were greeted by hundreds of fans – were you surprised by this?
Podolski: I was very happy, my arrival generally was amazing. I was welcomed at the club, in the team, by my teammates. I feel very comfortable already. I’ve been taken by the mentality of people in Turkey; they are all very friendly, and generally enjoying life. I like Istanbul a lot too, the stadium, the city. I hope that my next three, four years here are very successful.
DFB.de: Is there anything that has surprised you since arriving at Galatasary? Is training at all different?
Podolski: Not surprised. I still need to adjust to the temperatures, which is a big change. It is very hot and humid, which I’ve not really experienced before. The kick off times are new for me too, as in the Süper Lig they usually don’t start until 21:00 or 22:00 CEST, which will take some getting used to. I’m not really a fan of the late kick off.
DFB.de: Why?
Podolski: Primarily because of the fans. I think it’s a big reason why the attendance figures are not generally higher. If a game doesn’t start until 22:00 CEST, then it’s almost impossible for families with children to come to the stadium. It would very different if the games took place in the afternoon.
DFB.de: Have you got your head around the sheer size of Istanbul yet? The city has 15 million inhabitants.
Podolski: Officially. I’ve been told that there are many more. It will take a while for me to get to know the city properly. You can’t experience Istanbul in a couple of days.
DFB.de: The city is very full, the streets are packed. How often has the traffic been a problem?
Podolski: Everyone knows this, and so you have to adjust to it. I’ve had no problems so far, but it is remarkable.
DFB.de: You won’t yet speak Turkish fluently. How is it communicating in training?
Podolski: It’s very straightforward. Almost all the players speak English, and if not then we have an interpreter. Furthermore, there are some players in the squad with German backgrounds and who can speak German. It’s very easy for me generally, I haven’t had any problems with communication.
DFB.de: Jupp Derwall, Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, Reinhard Saftig or Reiner Hollmann – many German coaches have been involved with your Turkish side. Have you noticed a German influence at all?
Podolski: I don’t know whether that’s because of any particular German influence. I do get the impression though that Gala is a very well organised and well-structured club. The facilities are top class, and the club is very professional in all aspects. I have noticed too, that German footballers and coaches have a good reputation in Istanbul. That doesn’t just apply to Galatasary.
DFB.de: One aspect of your transfer to Galatasary was the fact that you have the opportunity to play Champions League here. Gala are in a group with Atletico Madrid, Astana and Benfica Lissabon. Do you think you have a good chance of progressing?
Podolski: I have respect for every team we come up against, but we have the quality to compete in this group. The first game will be very important. We start at home against Atletico, and we want to make a statement of intent. We have to use our home advantage, our fans are incredible and so we should be able to do anything with their support. I am very optimistic that we will still be in the competition after the group stages. After that we will have to see, anything is possible over two legs in the knockout rounds.
DFB.de: On Friday you’ve got the game against Poland in the European Championship qualification - the country in which you were born. Is this special for you or have you grown accustomed to it? It’s not the first time you’ve played Poland…
Podolski: Much like most things in life, the first time is always very special. The first time on a rollercoaster is amazing, and after the tenth time it’s still fun but the initial excitement wears off. That doesn’t mean that a match against Poland is not special for me, and it certainly won’t ever become ordinary. I’m playing against the country in which I was born, and where a big part of my family still live. Naturally this game has a lot of emotions associated with it.
DFB.de: How do you see it from a footballing perspective?
Podolski: The Poles are first place in the group, and we want to change this. We know their strengths, but we also know what we are capable of. We are world champions, we are playing at home and we want to win. Ideally, we would qualify in first place with Poland behind us in second. I don’t think that’s that unrealistic.
