For club icon Lukas Podolski, the problems at the Bundesliga soccer club 1. FC Köln are largely homemade.

In an interview with the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and Express, the 2014 world champion sharply criticized the top of the club.

From the perspective of the 2014 world champion, the Rhinelanders are threatened with further decline despite the fact that they were relegated to relegation at the end of May without changing course.

“The FC feeling, the concentrated power that this traditional club has, has unfortunately been lost.

Even now there is chaos again, unrest.

You have the feeling that there is no togetherness.

Everyone just looks at his post, that's how it seems to me.

If things continue like this, things can quickly go downhill at full speed, ”warned Podolski.

For the 36-year-old, the low presence of the FC top in the weeks of the previous relegation battle was an indication of a lack of leadership.

"It seems to me as if you are sitting in a darkroom and trying to run the club from there," said the former star FC striker.

Podolski is considering joining FC

The expulsion of sports director Horst Heldt one day after the relegation success of the team of transitional coach Friedhelm Funkel against the second division Holstein club can at best have been the beginning of clean-up work around the Geißbockheim for Podolski: “It didn't make much difference in its time can. But it would be far too easy to push him forward as the sole pawn sacrifice. Many point their fingers at Horst Heldt, but there are plenty of other major construction sites in the club. "

In the medium term, Podolski continues to play with the idea of ​​joining the FC management team. After his farewell to the Turkish first division team Antalyaspor, which was accompanied by disapproval, the 130-time national player wants to play for another “two years. But when it comes down to working with the right people, I can see myself becoming more involved. But everyone has to want that ”.

According to Podolski's presentation, corresponding discussions must be much more serious than in a first attempt at getting closer at the beginning of 2020. Since the exchange of views at that time, Podolski's statements, contrary to the association's announcement to the contrary, “null, nothing” have taken place in further conversations: “It was apparently only a matter of showing the public that the conversation had been held once. Then a hook was made. "