Podolski: We are ready to win

Only UEFA EURO 2012 glory will satisfy Lukas Podolski as the Germany forward sets his sights on victory in Poland and Ukraine. The striker, who will join Arsenal for next season, was part of the Germany sides which missed out on titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and he now will not settle merely for a place in the final. "Only the title counts, nothing else," he said. "In recent years, we have always said that the semi-finals would be a success, but I think we can say we are ready to challenge for the title ahead of these finals."The 26-year-old is keen to put a disappointing season behind him with a successful tournament with the national team, with whom he has always managed to show the best of himself. Despite being relegated with Cologne, Podolski will go into the tournament with optimism, claiming that such an approach gives them more chance of prevailing. "If you can say in advance that you want to challenge for the title, then it can give you an extra boost in the end," he told the Kolner Stadt Anzeiger newspaper at the end of a week-long training camp with the national team in Sardinia.