Podolski must stop complaining and play football: Hoeness

Bayern Munich misfit Lukas Podolski should shut up and concentrate on his football, the German champions’ general manager Uli Hoeness has warned.

German international Podolski is unhappy at being second-string striker behind Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni, and has been repeatedly linked with a big-money move away from the Munich giants.

“I’m happy the transfer window is closed because now Lukas will be able to concentrate on his job at Bayern,” Hoeness told a TV station here.

“He must stop complaining about his lot, being in a bad mood and lamenting his difficult fate. There are things in the world more difficult than being a Bayern player,” the straight-talking Hoeness added.

In July Podolski held talks with coach Jurgen Klinsmann, pledging his future after the difficult 2007-08 season in which he made just four league starts as Bayern did the German league and cup double.

But at Euro 2008 Podolski put in impressive performances to boost his selling price, netting three times and starting all six games to take his international tally to 55 caps and 28 goals.

He joined Bayern for 10 million euros (15.7 million US dollars) from Cologne after the 2006 World Cup, and has been linked with a move to Premier League sides Tottenham and Manchester City and Italian side Juventus.