Ilkay Gündogan announced his retirement from international football with Germany, at the age of 33, over a month after the European Championship. During Ilkay‘s stint with Germany, he scored 19 goals in his 82 appearances for Germany, where he debuted in 2011. Moreover, his 82 appearances for Germany includes 19 matches where he played as their captain. In a post on X and Instagram, Ilkay announced his retirement, stating that after weeks of consideration, he decides to end his national team career. However, despite retiring internationally, he will still play for clubs, where he is currently playing for Barcelona. Moreover, despite rumors of Ilkay‘s transfer, Barcelona is confident that Ilkay will stay for the club.
Ilkay Gündogan ends career with Germany
In a post on his social media accounts, he said, “After a few weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career.” He also expressed that he came up with this decision, after feeling tiredness in his body and head even before the Euro 2024 start. However, he mentioned that the highlight of his career with Germany is him, leading his squad. “My highlight was definitely the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championships 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,” he mentioned.
Additionally, he expressed his support for the national team and hopes for continued success. He believes the team is a close contender for the 2026 World Cup title due to their fantastic coach, strong team, and great team spirit, making them a strong contender. Moreover, Ilkay, who left Manchester City in 2018, has expressed his desire to leave the club before the end of the transfer market. However, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick remains confident that he will stay with the club. Despite Gündogan’s recent insistence that he would stay, Flick has ruled nothing out.
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