Ilkay Gündogan on Jürgen Klopp: ‘Once gave me a bollocking’ | OneFootball

At Galatasaray Istanbul, he currently plays no sporting role. Ilkay Gündogan (35) is stuck on the bench. But the achievements of the long-time BVB professional are beyond dispute.

Champions League winner, German champion and English Super Cup winner: Gündogan’s trophy cabinet is practically overflowing. The midfielder’s résumé also includes 85 international caps. In November 2020, the Gelsenkirchen-born player wore the captain’s armband for the German national team for the first time.

This season, the German-Turk has played just eleven minutes in Istanbul. During his time at Borussia Dortmund from 2011 to 2016, Gündogan held a very different status. He made 157 competitive appearances for the Black and Yellows, scoring 15 goals and setting up another 19. Ten years ago, Manchester City put 27 million euros on the table to pry him away from BVB and bring him to the Premier League.

“No coach is as authentic as he is”

During his time at Borussia, Gündogan had some special experiences with Jürgen Klopp (59). In an interview with ZEIT, he talks about a fierce outburst of anger from the new national team coach. “Jürgen once gave me a real dressing-down,” the 35-year-old recalls. From the then-BVB coach’s point of view, the trigger for his anger was that the midfielder arrived late at the training ground for an appointment with the physiotherapist.

The former DFB captain vividly describes Klopp’s impulsiveness: “He stormed into the room, shouted at me, slammed the door.” But the coach quickly regained his composure and showed remorse in his very own emotional way. “Half an hour later, he put his arms around me and explained why he had been so strict. Actually, he was right,” Gündogan recalls. To this day, he raves about Klopp’s interpersonal qualities: “Honest, direct, likeable. No coach is as authentic as he is.”

Photo: Getty Images

That the job with the DFB will not be a walk in the park for Klopp is obvious to the veteran, who is under contract with Gala until summer 2027. “Spain, France or England are better equipped. That is simply the reality, but it cannot be an excuse for going out before the round of 16 at major tournaments,” Gündogan makes clear. Nevertheless, he is optimistic about the era under his former coach: “I’m still happy that Jürgen is the national team coach. He also took over Liverpool and Dortmund when they were down and led them to titles.”

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