Barcelona midfielder was born in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish parents and represented Germany from Under-18 to Under-21 level.
Barcelona will see another high-class retirement ahead of the deadline day. German captain Ilkay Gundogan has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 33. He has confirmed his decision on social media.
The Barca man recently played in the Euro Championship at home but failed to win the trophy after the elimination against the Euro winners in the quarterfinals.
The 33-year-old midfielder was born in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish parents and represented Germany from Under-18 to Under-21 level. He made his senior international appearance in a European Championship qualifier against Belgium in 2011.
Gundogan failed to make into the 2014 World Cup due to a back injury. Later, his dream to win the trophy shattered due to group exit in 2028 and 2022 world cups.
Liebes Fußballdeutschland,
nach einigen Wochen Bedenkzeit bin ich zu dem Entschluss gekommen, dass es an der Zeit ist, meine Nationalmannschaftskarriere zu beenden.
Ich blicke mit sehr viel Stolz auf 82 Länderspiele für mein Heimatland zurück – eine Zahl, die ich mir so hätte… pic.twitter.com/IsU4iYCxq0
— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) August 19, 2024
Gundogan released a statement on social media which reads, “After a few weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career,” he wrote.
“I look back with great pride on 82 international matches for my home country – a number I could never have dreamed of when I made my debut for the senior national team in 2011.
“My highlight was definitely the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championship last summer! After all these years, we finally managed to make the nation proud again – I’m very happy that I was able to play a part in that.
“But even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body and also in my head, which made me think. And the number of games at club and national level is not coming down.
“I will definitely continue to be a fan of this national team and I really hope that we can continue the upward trend together – and then there is nothing to stop us from being one of the prime contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup. We have a fantastic coach, a really strong squad and a great team spirit.”
Meanwhile, current German boss Nagelsmann wants Gundogan to change his mind. He gives the green light to the talented midfielder. He said via dfb.de, “Ilkay was an amazing captain, and I would have liked to have been able to continue working with him. The door is never fully shut for anyone in the national team, but we respect his decision and wish him all the best for the future, both on and off the pitch.”
Germany sporting director Rudi Voller said: “Ilkay is a fantastic footballer, and he was able to impress all of Germany with his unique skills, intelligence, movement and passing at our home EUROs.
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