Germany’s Podolski under police investigation

Germany striker Lukas Podolski, who is set to travel to South Africa for next month’s World Cup, is being investigated under a suspicion of assault and dangerous driving, it was revealed on Wednesday.

German sports agency SID, an AFP subsidiary, say the 24-year-old Cologne forward is said to have narrowly avoided hitting an elderly couple crossing the street while driving and then insulted the pair in an exchange of words.

A state prosecutor in Cologne confirmed Podolski is under investigation by police and other witnesses will be questioned over the incident.

Podolski, who has won 70 caps for his country, is due to play for Germany against Malta in a World Cup warm-up on Thursday in Aachen.

Meanwhile, Germany coach Joachim Loew has come to Podolski’s defence after the striker was accused of being “lazy” by former international goalkeeper Uli Stein on Wednesday.

“I have asked every coach he has worked under and they have all confirmed that he is the laziest player they have ever worked with,” Stein told Germany daily Bild.

“He does nothing. He doesn’t train, which is why he is in such a condition.”

While Podolski has had a poor season for Cologne, scoring just two goals all season, he has rarely played poorly for the national side and scored 37 goals in the process.

He was voted the best young player at the 2006 World Cup when Germany finished third and Loew says he knows a different Podolski from the one portrayed by Stein.

“Certainly Lukas has not had his best season this year and you can both see and feel that, but it would be absolutely wrong for somebody to call him a lazy player,” said Loew in a press release.

“I experience him totally different to that here with the national team.

“From the very first day that he was here with us, he has trained with the highest motivation.

“I think his performances for the national team and his goals ratio say it all and I know him as highly motivated.”

Germany have drawn Australia, Ghana and Serbia in Group D at the June 11-July 11 World Cup.