Three goals in four Confederations Cup matches followed 24 in the second division last season and 10 in the Bundesliga two years ago -- a league record for an 18-year-old,
"It's not easy for Podolski -- he's got no private life anymore," Cologne coach Uwe Rapolder said.
VfB Stuttgart, which ended fifth in the table, is the biggest puzzle this season after a shakeup in the offseason.
Having lost Kuranyi, Lahm and Alexander Hleb -- the Belarus playmaker who jumped to Arsenal -- the club replaced them with Danish internationals Jesper Gronkjaer and Jon Dahl Tomasson.
But hopes are high in the city after signing Giovanni Trapattoni. The Italian's 19 club titles is the best among active coaches.
"I can't say anything about the title -- it's completely open," Trapattoni said. "But VfB Stuttgart hasn't set any limits for itself."
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