After retirement: how ex-BVB star Ilkay Gündogan plans ahead | OneFootball

Every career eventually comes to an end — no matter how successful it may have been. Cristiano Ronaldo (41) is currently experiencing this, as he will presumably no longer take the field for Portugal. Former BVB star Ilkay Gündogan is also in the late autumn of his career at the age of 35.

Gündogan has achieved a great deal. More than most professionals will ever accomplish. In 2023, he was named Germany’s Footballer of the Year. He won the Champions League with Manchester City as well as the English league title five times. Whether all of those titles will stand, however, is quite questionable due to the Skyblues’ financial scandal.

But for now, they are still listed in Gündogan’s résumé. As is the domestic double in 2012 with Borussia Dortmund under Jürgen Klopp (59). The midfield strategist has had some very particular experiences with the new national team coach, as he openly admits.

Left out at Gala

But BVB’s title-winning architect is also a role model for Gündogan. In an interview with ZEIT, the 82-time international admits that he too would like to stand on the sidelines one day. “Yes, I would like to work as a coach,” the veteran reveals. “I’ve seen what coaches can achieve.”

Photo: Getty Images

His contract with Galatasaray Istanbul runs until the summer of 2027. At the moment, he is not playing a major role for the reigning Turkish champions. He has been given just eleven minutes of playing time by head coach Okan Buruk (52). He only came on as a substitute on matchday one of the Super League and in the 1–3 defeat against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.

What comes next for Gündogan next year? The German-Turkish player is already thinking about life after his active career. But he wants to keep playing for as long as he can still “feel the thrill.” Despite having a regular spot on Gala’s bench, the former Dortmund player insists: “And at the moment, I still do.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.