Lukas Podolski set to play ice hockey for local club after saving team from bankruptcy

2014 World Cup winner Lukas Podolski is set to trade his boots for skates after promising to turn up for local ice hockey club Kölner Haie in the 2020-21 season. The former Arsenal striker, who enjoyed a distinguished career with spells at Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Galatasaray had recently saved his favourite ice hockey club from bankruptcy after it had felt the full effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the 35-year-old who was born in Poland but grew up near Cologne will line up for Haie next season after 'a crazy bet'. 

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Podolski ice hockey stint: 2014 WC winner set for ice hockey stint with local club 

Lukas Podolski, who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, will turn up for Kölner Haie in the upcoming DEL 2020-21 season. The 35-year-old striker promised fans of Kölner Haie that he will turn up for the club if they purchased 100,000 virtual 'tickets'. Haie have been struggling to remain afloat amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the revenue from the ticket sales are set to be a huge boost to the finances of the eight-time DEL champions.

Since the mark was breached, Podolski remains keen to keep his word.

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The former Germany international has been on the books of Turkey's Antalyaspor since January 2020, having spent two-and-a-half years with Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe. In a statement posted on Kölner Haie's official website, Lukas Podolski said that he was happy for the club after they managed to sell the 100,000 tickets. The former Bayern Munich striker thanked all the supporters and companies who helped the club during the crisis. 

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The 35-year-old revealed that he will sit down with the club for talks once the pandemic calms down. Podolski said that while he will assess his options, he remains keen on being a Haie player.

The club also thanked the supporters after they breached the 100,000-mark and mentioned that it has created an important building block to start the 2020-21 PENNY DEL season. Cologne-based Haie are coached by former Stanley Cup winner Uwe Krupp and finished 11th in last season's curtailed DEL season. Podolski made 130 appearances for Germany, scoring 49 goals before announcing his retirement in 2017. 

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(Image Courtesy: Kolner Haie Twitter)