Gündogan defends Sané after Germany criticism: 'People don’t understand Leroy' | OneFootball

Ilkay Gündogan has defended Leroy Sané after criticism of his Germany displays, which intensified following the 7-1 win over Curaçao in their World Cup opener. In a column for Der Spiegel, the former Germany captain urged greater support for the winger.

Despite scrutiny of that performance, Sané has been retained in the starting line-up for Germany's second World Cup match against Ivory Coast on Saturday night.

Gündogan, who played alongside Sané at Manchester City from 2016-2020 and is now reunited with him at Galatasaray, said he knows him well and is troubled by how harshly he is often judged in Germany.

He portrayed Sané as shy and more affected by public scrutiny than many realise. In Gündogan's view, the forward thrives when given room to make mistakes, but constant fear of immediate criticism can make consistent performances harder.

He added that Sané often feels people are waiting for him to err, and is not always mentally free enough for his instinctive style. Around unfamiliar people, he can become cautious.

Source: BuLi News