Ex-Arsenal star Lukas Podolski avoids red card for 'horrendous' tackle

The 39-year-old was playing for Polish club Gornik Zabrze in a tournament featuring professional teams from Czechia and Slovakia's top-flights and an All-Star Team featuring former Polish internationals.

But while the tournament was supposed to be fun and light-hearted, the former Arsenal star was anything but having lunged into a full-blooded challenge.

Playing against Polish side Wisloka Dębica player Kuba Siedleckim, Podolski lunged in with a knee-high, two-footed challenge that saw Siedleckim writhing around on the floor.

But Podolski wasn't done yet as he berated his opponent before throwing the ball in his direction.

Incredibly, the ex-Bayern Munich and Germany star was only given a yellow card despite practically having steam coming out of his ears.

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Thankfully his opponent wasn't hurt.

Taking to social media after the game, Podolski wrote: "There were emotions on the pitch, but after the match there is agreement.

"Sorry for the hard foul. All the best in the season."

But fans weren't happy with what they'd seen from a player who was always more known for his lethal left-footed shot.

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Reacting to the tackle, one fan on social media wrote: "What a disgusting tackle, and then he moans at the player."

A second fan said: "Never seen him like this. What happened to him?"

"Lukas Podolski goes absolutely nuts in a friendly game and only gets a yellow card," a third said. "He could easily broken his opponent's leg."

A fourth supporter commented: "The referee is two metres away??"

Meanwhile a fifth added: "That's horrendous.

"Such an embarrassing guy. That's really crazy, and not for the first time. Is it somehow normal for ex-professionals to be like that when they play in tournaments and amateur teams?"

Podolski enjoyed a hugely successful career with clubs including Bayern, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Galatasaray.

He was also part of Germany's squad that won the World Cup in 2014.