World Cup winner Podolski sent off in charity match

BERLIN : Germany's World Cup winner Lukas Podolski has long dazzled crowds with his power and speed but he left fans at a charity match on Sunday speechless when he was sent off for dissent.

The 37-year-old former Bayern Munich and Arsenal forward, who now plays for Poland's Gornik Zabrze, was given his marching orders after he brought down an opponent in the indoor arena at Gummersbach during a charity match under his auspices.

He got up and walked to the referee, speaking to him and then coming face-to-face as he kept addressing him.

The 2014 World Cup winner eventually left the pitch before spraying water from the sidelines from a bottle.