Ex-Arsenal ace Podolski sent off after confronting ref at own charity tournament

Lukas Podolski was sent off at his own charity tournament before going on to throw water at match officials.

The former Germany international, who spent a number of years in the Premier League with Arsenal, was playing at the Schauinsland Reisen Cup in Gummersbach, Germany. The 37-year-old confronted the referee after a decision went against him, and the official showed him a red card.

Podolski wasn't done there, either. The former World Cup star, who was representing Polish outfit Gornik Zabrze at the indoor football tournament, threw water in the direction of the on-field officials from the sidelines after being given his marching orders.

Podolski first joined Gornik in 2021, having played in Germany, England, Italy, Turkey and Japan. He helped the Ekstraklasa side finish in the top half of the table last season and has remained on their books this term.

The Schauinsland Reisen Cup featured six teams - five from Germany and one from Poland. Podolski's side was up against Rot-Weiss Essen in the German third tier when the incident occurred.

Podolski reacted poorly to the award of a penalty against his team in the semi-final, confronting the man in the middle. This was enough to earn him a red card, at which point the water-throwing began.

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A man down for the remainder of the game, Gornik were narrowly beaten by their German opponents. There was some consolation, though, as they won the third-place play-off.

Podolski shared his appreciation after the tournament, thanking his team-mates as well as the staff and fans who showed their support.The forward, who was part of Germany's victorious World Cup squad in 2014, has used the tournament to raise money for his foundation.

Rot-Weiss Essen faced off against Blau-Weiss Lohne in the final after getting past Podolski's side in the semis. The 20-minute game was full of goals, with the third-tier side beating their Regionalliga opponents 8-3 to lift the trophy.

The Schauinsland Reisen Cup raises money for a number of causes, with a focus on child poverty. The tournament supports socially disadvantaged children and young people, using the power of football.

"It's my dream to finish my footballing career playing for Gornik," Podolski said upon moving to his current club in 2021. "Gornik Zabrze is the team I support in my Polish homeland.

"Every year when I visit my family in Upper Silesia, I love to meet up with my friends and acquaintances there for a good chat." Podolski was born in the Polish city of Gliwice, and was eligible to play international football for Poland, but instead represented Germany 130 times - third on the all-time list behind Lothar Matthaus and Miroslav Klose - and scored at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups before making a number of appearances for the winners in 2014.