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Lukas Podolski personally handed over the legendary number 10 shirt at 1. FC Köln. Shortly before extending his contract until 2031, Said El Mala received a surprise call from the FC icon — something of an unofficial passing of the baton.
Since Podolski’s departure in 2012, no Köln professional had been allowed to wear this prestigious number. Now, however, El Mala will take it on — likely the club’s greatest talent since a young Poldi.
But at first, Podolski wanted to talk about something else. Joking on the phone about a possible move to his Polish club Górnik Zabrze, he said: “Unfortunately, we didn’t have the money to buy you. That’s why Kessler turned it down.” Then the 2014 World Cup winner gave his successor a clear message: “Keep pushing and wear the number with pride.” El Mala immediately promised: “I’ll do that 100 percent.”
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The 19-year-old generally makes no secret of how much his connection to Podolski means to him. “I loved the way Poldi played. I see a bit of myself in that too,” he explained in another club clip. “I also know what it means to have the number 10 at 1. FC Köln. I’m just really looking forward to it.”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
