Football Manchester City
“Love at the highest level” – Gündogan’s emotional farewell
Status: 1:19 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Go when it’s most beautiful: Ilkay Gündogan
Which: AFP/PAUL ELLIS
After the biggest triumph of his career, Ilkay Gündogan leaves England. After seven years at Manchester City, the international says goodbye with big words. They are aimed in particular at the coach and the substitute goalkeeper.
Ilkay Gündogan thanked Manchester City with emotional words after confirming his move to FC Barcelona and said goodbye. “I came here limping on one foot but I’m leaving this place feeling like I’m floating in the clouds,” the 32-year-old wrote in a letter to The Players Tribune. Today is bittersweet: “Goodbyes are never easy, but it’s even harder with this team.”
Gündogan is moving to FC Barcelona on a free transfer. He has signed a two-year contract with the Catalans until June 30, 2025 with an option for another season. Barca have agreed a transfer fee of 400 million euros.
Gündogan captained City to league, cup and Champions League triumphs
Those: AFP/OLI SCARFF
“When I arrived here I was a young man without children and with many dreams. I can hardly believe it, but seven years later I leave you as a father who has fulfilled every single one of his dreams,” Gündogan wrote about City. It’s amazing what the team has achieved. He referred to five championship titles in the Premier League, two FA Cups and winning the Champions League and most recently the triple.
also read
In his letter, the national player also gave private insights into the team environment. He thanked the wives and partners of his teammates, who had organized many barbecues in group chats and had brought the team closer together.
Gündogan thanks City’s substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega
He also thanked coach Pep Guardiola and City’s second goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. “As Germans we had a lot in common, and just the daily espresso that we drank together last year helped me to open up a lot more.” He will miss all that, but will always be connected to the club. “Nothing can break this bond. It is love at the highest level.”
Pep Guardiola (left) would have liked to have kept Gündogan, but City only gives players over the age of 32 one-year contracts
Source: dpa/Jose Breton
Barcelona is the only “club in the world” for which a move makes sense. “Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed of wearing this jersey one day,” wrote the native of Gelsenkirchen. He is confident that he can play at the highest level for a few more years and thus help “bring Barcelona back to where it belongs.” He also knows that there will be a lot of pressure on the Spanish first division club. “But I love pressure. I love getting out of my comfort zone,” he wrote in conclusion of his “new chapter.”