Former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has come under fire after a clip emerged of him committing a potentially dangerous foul during a charity five-aside tournament
A shocking clip of former Arsenal star Lukas Podolski committing a horror tackle during a charity match has seen the forward labelled a ‘thug’.
The video, which was taken during a match in Poland last year, shows the former German international scythe down an opponent with a brutal, knee-high scissor tackle, prompting a furious reaction from those in attendance at the charity five-aside game.
The victim of Podolski’s horror challenge, Poland’s Jakub Siedlecki, can be seen riling around clutching his leg following the tackle, before the clearly furious ex-Gunner doubles down on the aggression and chucks the ball at the injured player.
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Incredibly, Podolski was spared an early bath by the referee, who instead awarded him a yellow card in the aftermath of the explosive confrontation.
Speaking after the match, a clearly injured Siedlecki labelled Podolski as “hot-headed”, but denied their being a long-term grudge between the two players.
He explained: “Things got a little heated, but afterwards the emotions died down. We know Lukas Podolski can sometimes be quite hot-headed in his actions.”
Despite his angry reaction, Podolski did later apologise for his conduct and gave Siedlecki a football shirt.
In a post on Twitter, the German wrote: ““There were emotions on the pitch, but after the match we made peace. Sorry for the hard foul. All the best for the season.”
The clip, which has recently resurfaced online, has seen the former Arsenal man slammed for his “uncharitable” conduct in what was supposed to be a friendly match.
Underneath a viral clip of the incident, one user wrote: “Typical Arsenal thug with zero self control”, while another added that the tackle showed the player showed a “fundamental lack of morals”.
Incredibly, the ex-Bayern Munich forward has prior when it comes to losing his head during five-aside, as he was sent off back 2023 while playing in a tournament raising money for his own charity, The Lukas Podolski Foundation.
On this occasion, Podoski saw red following a sweary confrontation with the referee, which saw the player square up and then squirt a water bottle at the bemused official.
Podolski reportedly argued with the referee again after the final whistle and had to be calmed by teammates, although he did subsequently apologise.
He later told German news outlet BILD: ““I threw the water onto the pitch because I was f***ing angry that I had been given (the red card). As a club, we received three penalties of more than two minutes in that match.”
“I argued a little too much with the referee, received a card and went behind the boards.”