Ilkay Gundogan Reveals He Didn’t Get To Say A Proper Goodbye To Man City Before His Barcelona Move
Written by Olaleye Oluwadamilola
German International Ilkay Gundogan has lifted the lid on his departure at the end of last season, admitting that he was unable to bid farewell to his former employers in person before leaving for Barcelona.
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The ex Manchester City captain departed the Etihad Stadium after lifting a historic Treble having spent seven years at City as Pep Guardiola’s first ever signing at the club.
He was quickly snapped up by cash-strapped Barcelona on a free transfer, fending off interest from Arsenal although the club offered a contract extension to the player which he refuted.
However, as Gundogan has since revealed, City were seemingly a touch too slow off the mark to beat Barcelona to the punch – with the captain unable to even say his farewells in person.
“City waited a relatively long time until the talks really intensified,” he added to Bild.
“If this had happened a little earlier, the situation would have been different. So in the end it was the perfect ending, it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was also my childhood dream to play for FC Barcelona.”
“I don’t want to go into the minute details, but it was quite late in the season. And when it comes to a Champions League quarter-final or semi-final, players want to concentrate purely on sport. I didn’t know what would happen next. I couldn’t plan anything.”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t say goodbye in person because I only made the decision after the Champions League final, two days before the DFB game against Colombia,” he told German newspaper Bild.
“That was probably the hardest phone call I’ve ever had in my life. The conversation was emotional, but Pep was also happy for me.”
‘I switched to the club that was close to his heart and his childhood, so to speak – and as a fan he was very happy about that. He also told me: If I need anything, I should contact him at any time. It was brilliant to experience Pep as a coach. This will help me a lot over the next few years.”
Gundogan has played the third-most games under the Spanish manager of any player at 304 appearances. Only Kevin De Bruyne (317) and Bernardo Silva (310) have featured under him on more occasions.
Meanwhile…
Former Real Madrid and Chelsea star Eden Hazard has dropped a hint that retirement is edging closer in a new documentary series on the Belgian national team.
Hazard was released by Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer after making just 76 appearances across four seasons at the club.
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“In a soon-to-be-released documentary about the Red Devils called ‘Believe’, the Belgian seemed to suggest retiring was his next move insisting: “It’s time to enjoy life by drinking a few beers.”
The docu-series follows the day-to-day life of the Belgian national team through various players, including Johan Bakayoko, Amadou Onana, Jan Vertonghen and Hazard himself.
The winger did reportedly have some English clubs interested in him after leaving Madrid, but concerns about his fitness seemed to be a major barrier.
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