Karim in defence of F1 dig
Lukas salute to his old master Wenger
LUKAS PODOLSKI says Arsene Wenger was like a grandfather to him when he was at Arsenal.
The German striker spent two and a half seasons at the Emirates, before moving to Galatasaray.
He had a series of run-ins with Wenger – especially in his third season when he rarely started and was regularly on the bench.
Podolski joined the Gunners in the summer of 2012 and had a blistering first season scoring 16 goals and creating another 11.
In the next campaign he played a part in their FA Cup win in May before winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
Talking about the influence Wenger had, he said: “He was a great manager and I really like him as a person. He was like a grandpa, a very intelligent man who was nice to talk to.
“He could speak lots of languages and never yelled. He was Arsenal – he created everything.
“He was the man who oversaw the club’s move to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury, and won so many trophies during his 22 years there.
“I would have been fascinated to see how he would have done in charge of another team.”
Asked why he was moved on, the current Antalyaspor forward said: “I didn’t get enough game time; I felt that I performed well and didn’t get the minutes I deserved.
“If you look at my stats, I played in about 80 matches and was directly involved in a lot of goals.
“My relationship with the fans and players was positive. We won the FA
Cup in 2014, which was the club’s first trophy for quite a few years.
“And I liked living in London, Hampstead. My family enjoyed it.”
Podolski was signed by Wenger for £15m from Cologne and told Fourfourtwo: “I was on the phone with Arsene Wenger. We spoke half English and half German; he started the conversation in German.
“I was thinking of staying at Cologne with friends and family but they told me to leave and play for a great manager at a great club. And I helped my club in doing in so, because they got £15m for me and had just been relegated.”
One memory that never leaves Podolski is the defeat to Bradford in the 2012 League Cup quarter-final.
“We lost on penalties! These results happen in football,” he said.
“To be honest, these results are why we love football.”
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KARIM BENZEMA says he was right to claim he is F1 while World Cup winner Olivier Giroud is karting.
The Real Madrid striker attacked the Chelsea forward during a live chat and added: “Aside from that, does everyone like the way he plays?”
And Benzema, who has not played for France since 2015, yesterday released a video on social media to repeat his mockery of his fellow forward.
“I simply told the truth,” he said. “What I said about what he brought to the French team hasn’t been remembered.
“We remembered when I said I was Formula One and he is karting. That’s what I think, it’s the truth and that’s how it is.
“If you ask me about R9 (Brazil legend Ronaldo), he is F1 and I am karting, that’s how it is!”
Benzema was first left out of the France team after he was arrested for the alleged blackmailing of Mathieu Valbuena following a sex tape scandal in 2015.
When he was excluded from the squad for Euro 2016, he claimed coach Didier Deschamps had bowed to pressure from racists. Benzema, 32, is of Algerian descent.
Deschamps said last year he could never forgive the player for the slur and also omitted him in 2018 when France won the World Cup with Giroud up front.
He has continued to pick the ex-arsenal man despite the 33-year-old failing to play regularly for Chelsea this season.