In an interview with the Köln local paper (the "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger), Lukas Podolski tore through the board at the cathedral city club due to their failures.
Lukas Podolski stated that he has not made any contact with the Köln board and current club president Werner Wolf since around a year ago during the training camp in Austria.
In regards to a return to the club as a player, Podolski stated that "in the past his help was not wanted much".
Further into the interview, he said that: "At Effzeh, too many people have a say at the top levels. These are people who have little to no idea about professional football. The circle of decision makers is way too big."
These harsh words perhaps hit deep into the club, but with no contact having been made between the player and the club there is little risk of fracturing a relationship.
Lastly, it is important to note that there was no concrete answer to any questioning around Lukas Podolski joining Köln's board in 2025.