In his column for the “Spiegel”, former German national team captain Ilkay Gündogan expressed his frustration regarding the criticism leveled at national player Leroy Sané, stating, “I believe people don’t understand Leroy. And I believe they are treating him unfairly.”
Following Germany’s dominant 7-1 victory over Curaçao at the start of the World Cup, there were discussions about whether Sané should be dropped from the starting lineup. Gündogan acknowledges that Sané polarizes viewers, but he noted how mentally challenging it is for him to cope with that scrutiny. He remarked that Sané often feels people are merely waiting for him to falter. Gündogan observed that Sané doesn’t always seem as mentally free as he needs to be for his associative style of play.
The former captain stressed that Sané needs the freedom to make mistakes. “But when the fear is constantly present that after the first error in a match, criticism immediately follows: How can Leroy function sustainably?” he asked.
Furthermore, Gündogan criticized the decision made by then-head coach Joachim Löw to omit Sané from the squad shortly before the 2018 World Cup. He mentioned that being dropped just before that tournament deeply affected him, and he never fully understood the reasoning.
Gündogan and Sané played together since 2016 at Manchester City and later represented the national team. Gündogan served as captain of the German Football Association (DFB) during Euro 2024 in Germany, having earned 82 caps and participated in four major international tournaments. At Manchester City, he helped secure a Champions League title in 2023 and five English league titles. His career spans successful periods under renowned coaches including Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, Joachim Löw, and Hansi Flick. Since 2025, the central midfielder has been playing for the Turkish traditional club Galatasaray Istanbul, alongside Sané.
