Podolski admits Klinsmann 'punch'

Podolski joined Cologne from Bayern this summer, thanks to the irregular football he was given at Allianz Arena under Klinsmann.

The 24-year-old implied that Klinsmann's treatment forced him out of the club, as the latter usually preferred to rely on Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose upfront.

"Klinsmann never really took me seriously," Podolski told the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

"If anybody else was out of action, I suddenly became important and had my spirits lifted, but you need to feel this faith all the time.

"He said that it would be a process which would last one or two years before I could get past (Toni and Klose). That was like a punch in the face to me."

Cologne Forever

Podolski, who was poised to back down on his Cologne move and stay with Bayern, stressed that he can't wait to start a new adventure with the Bundesliga minnows.

"I can hardly wait to get on the field training. Cologne is simply the best place for my heart," he said.

"This is my club and I want to go places with them. Maybe I will stay with Cologne until the end of my career. They are a fantastic club and everything is perfect."