Lukas Podolski visited his hometown club 1.FC Cologne on Thursday and became a lifelong member. Podolski has left Arsenal to join Galatasaray but his bonds to the club where he started his professional career are still strong.
"I heard that FC Cologne provides the opportunity to become a lifelong member and thought right away: That's awesome!" Podolski is quoted on the club's website.
To become a lifelong member of FC Cologne requires a lump sum payment of €1,984, referring to the club's founding year. From then on a member is exempt of all annual fees for the rest of his life.
"My son and me wanted to be FC members forever anyway -- and now we are officially," a delighted Podolski said. "That is a signal to the club and the fans.'
"We are very pleased, Lukas decided to do that," FC Cologne CEO Alexander Wehrle told Cologne paper Express.
"That is a great signal and acknowledgement."
Full report on Lukas #Podolski (@Podolski10) signing on for lifelong #effzeh club membership: http://t.co/VgpdL3JyWE pic.twitter.com/8SLXji0OBM
- 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) July 9, 2015
After joining his favorite club for life Podolski took the time to visit the team training and greet some of his old teammates. Podolski joined FC Cologne when he was 10 and played six professional years there, interrupted by a three-year-stint at Bayern Munich.
But now Podolski is looking forward to his time at Galatasaray.
"Istanbul will the fifth major city to me after Cologne, Munich, London and Milan," Podolski told Express. "That's a place to feel at home."