Ilkay Gündogan immediately gave the fans of the Spanish champions FC Barcelona some hope of winning the Champions League for the first time since 2015. “I think after several years I’ve seen what it takes to win the Champions League,” Gündogan said in Barcelona on Monday.
The 32-year-old midfielder, who won the “premier class” with Manchester City before his free transfer this summer, wants to “pass on certain ideas”. But he also emphasized: “There are things that are beyond control.”
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Gündogan also revealed that Barça striker Robert Lewandowski has increased his anticipation for Barcelona. After the test match between Germany and Poland in June in Warsaw (0-1), he talked to the former Dortmund and Bayern professional about Barcelona. “I was fascinated by the sparkle in his eyes when he spoke about his life in Barcelona and about Barça,” said Gündogan.
However, Gündogan assured that he had already made the decision before this conversation to leave Manchester and switch to the club of national goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. City coach Pep Guardiola couldn’t do anything to persuade him to stay because: “Everything was clear to me.”
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At the official launch, Barcelona President Joan Laporta said: “Gündogan was the first player that (coach) Xavi asked for.” The former midfield strategist has been on the sidelines since November 2021. Club boss Laporta said of Gündogan: “Last season we won the league, Ilkay, but the goal is that we are now playing for the title in the Champions League.”
Gündogan signed a two-year contract with Barcelona until June 30, 2025 with the option for another season, the Catalans announced at the end of June. The fixed transfer fee is 400 million euros. The veteran switched from Borussia Dortmund to Man City in summer 2016 for 27 million euros and from then on played 304 games for the “Citizens”, in which he scored exactly 100 goals.
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