Gundogan on returning to City after Barcelona move
23/08/2024
CGA Manchester City academy, Manchester, UK
23/08/2024
CGA Manchester City academy, Manchester, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00Ilkay, I can't believe we're saying this, but welcome back to Manchester City.
00:06Just give us a feeling of how you feel being back at the CFA today.
00:11I'm incredibly happy.
00:13Happy to see the teammates, the staff, people that I had seven years,
00:20an amazing time with, a very successful time with.
00:23Many ups, few downs, but in general an incredible experience.
00:28When you leave this place, like I did last year, you spend a year away,
00:36you then start to appreciate the place even more.
00:41You realise what you had, you realise how amazing that time was,
00:46you realise how big the club is, the best club in the world.
00:53I think, in terms of football, getting back onto that level
00:58and coming back now, a year later, is an incredible feeling.
01:02I am very pleased, I am very happy, I feel privileged
01:06to share the dressing room again with these amazing players.
01:09What were some of the main factors that helped you to make this decision?
01:14Obviously, the seven years I had here, in my first spell,
01:17they played a big role.
01:19Getting to know this amazing club, getting to know the people working here,
01:23being behind everything.
01:26Of course, also the friendships that you made and the memories that you had.
01:33By saying that, I don't want it to sound too nostalgic, to be honest,
01:38because I don't want that time to be remembered as,
01:41OK, that wasn't the past, but it's still about competing,
01:47it's still about having that drive,
01:49it's still about trying to be the best version of yourself.
01:52That's all an ambition that I still have incredibly much in myself,
01:57even though maybe being now 33 years old.
02:00But I still want to prove myself every day in training sessions and games
02:05and still become the best possible version of myself.
02:08I still have an incredible sense for winning, for competing.
02:15I think the package that you get here, right now, today,
02:21you can't find it anywhere else.
02:23That made it for me, to be honest, very easy to come back.
02:27In terms of your fitness and match sharpness,
02:30where would you say you are at this stage?
02:32Are you ready to play again in the Premier League immediately?
02:35I played a lot of games last season, to be honest.
02:38I think in terms of minutes, you can't really play much more.
02:43I think that also proves somehow that even though I'm already on an age
02:49where you get a lot of breaks, I still feel very competitive
02:54and I still feel ready to go.
02:56I love the Premier League, it's the best league in the world.
03:00Being able to compete in that league again is just a joy.
03:04Did you get a chance to watch much of City last season?
03:07If so, what did you make of us?
03:09Yeah, of course, of course.
03:11I tried to follow all the games that I was able to watch.
03:17The standards that are set, they are obvious.
03:21The football that Man City is playing last year, the years before,
03:26it's always on the highest level.
03:29That's not just my opinion, I think that's also the opinion
03:32of a lot of people in the football industry in general.
03:35That this is the target for the teams to get there,
03:38where Man City is in terms of football.
03:40Being able now to be back and to play on that highest level
03:44and to compete again is a privilege.
03:48Hopefully I can contribute in this season
03:52to be more successful than last season.
03:56That's always the target.
03:57You've had some time now to reflect on your final season at City,
04:01from your first time when you captained us to the treble.
04:05Just give us a feeling of what it's like
04:07knowing that you've been part of something that's so historic.
04:13Well, it's difficult to describe the feeling, to be honest.
04:17I can't really say pride because it's for me difficult
04:20to explain how it feels to be proud, you know.
04:24But what stays with me in general are the memories,
04:27the moments that you share with your teammates,
04:30with the people in the club together,
04:31at the training ground, on the training pitch, travelling.
04:35There are so many memories from that treble season
04:38that are in my mind.
04:40Just the time you spent together,
04:42the laughs inside the dressing room, the banter.
04:48Of course, lifting the trophy is always an achievement
04:51and you feel like, wow, you achieved here really something special.
04:54But the way to get there is much more special for me.
04:58The feelings that you have throughout the whole journey
05:02are much more special and I want that feeling back.
05:06I want to have this feeling back, this togetherness inside the team.
05:10And while you've been away, we've sealed even more history,
05:13making it four Premier League titles in a row.
05:15This is a level of consistency that's unheard of
05:18certainly in English football.
05:20How are City doing this?
05:22By consistently trying to put the bar just a little bit higher
05:28and try to be, as I said before, every single day
05:33the best possible version of yourself.
05:36And that starts on the training pitch
05:38but then goes also what's happening off the pitch,
05:41which has obviously a big influence also on everyone.
05:45And we have the best people working here
05:49and that's why this football club is so successful
05:52and why not make it five?
05:54You met up with some of the guys in pre-season
05:56when we were in Orlando and we played Barcelona.
05:59Everyone was really happy to see you.
06:01What was that like for you to bump into a few of our players?
06:05Yeah, it was nice.
06:06Throughout the last year, I was in touch with a lot of players,
06:09obviously staff, with Pep.
06:12Communicating on a regular basis, to be honest,
06:16and of course following the games.
06:18So it was really nice to see everyone in person again,
06:21or most of the people in person again
06:23because still some players were not there.
06:25But it was really nice to be with them, to talk,
06:28to spend some time in the dressing room of theirs at the game.
06:32Having the opportunity was amazing.
06:36To be honest with you, back then it was not even a topic
06:40to come back and rejoin.
06:44Everything happened quite quick in the last couple of days,
06:47so I was not really thinking about it,
06:50or it was not really an opportunity.
06:53But maybe that made it even more special
06:56and even more fulfilling for me.
07:00I know Pep admires you greatly.
07:03After a year away from working with him,
07:05you've probably had time to think and reflect a little bit
07:08on his methods and man-management skills.
07:11Can you just give us a feeling of why he is so good at his job
07:14and why he's so special as a coach?
07:18Well, I mean, he's just tactically a genius.
07:23He has all sorts of solutions for every probability in the game,
07:29for everything that's happening on the pitch.
07:31He can give you a solution in just a very short amount of time.
07:35On top of that, I think in terms of managing also a dressing room,
07:40a big dressing room like we have here also,
07:44is never easy with so many personalities,
07:46with so many ambitious players that want to start every game.
07:51And to manage that is also very important,
07:56to try to keep everyone happy.
07:59But he's also demanding.
08:01If you don't follow, if you are slightly off the gas
08:06in training sessions, you will not play,
08:09because there are others who can replace you
08:12and who have a lot of quality.
08:14So I think that keeps everyone on their toes and driven
08:18and doing their best.
08:20And that's very special about this club in general.
08:24We took a very young squad to the US on pre-season
08:28with quite a lot of academy players there.
08:30What do you make of the quality of young players
08:33that Manchester City is producing these days?
08:37Well, I think it's obvious.
08:39When you look at where some academy products are playing right now,
08:44which teams they got transferred to,
08:47what kind of player we have also still in our own team,
08:52like Filfone, who just won every possible individual trophy last year.
08:58It just shows you that there is no limit for our academy players.
09:05There's a lot of talent, and I think these talents can be very happy
09:09that we have someone like Pep also in the first team
09:11who can coach them, who can even teach them much more
09:16and give them so much, whether they stay here or whether they leave.
09:24From what I've seen also in my time,
09:26in the seven years that I was here,
09:29that there's a lot of good people also working in the academy.
09:33When I did my coaching badges, I was able to visit the academy,
09:37to visit the teams and join in a few training sessions.
09:42Again, you need the best people to get the best out of the players.
09:49That's a fact also for our academy.
09:51One player I did want to ask you about was Rodri.
09:53He's just had another amazing season.
09:55You've obviously played with him before, you've played against him.
09:58How much are you looking forward to playing on the same side as him again?
10:02Because he's operating on a very, very high level, isn't he?
10:05On the highest level, I would say.
10:09Maybe he doesn't get so much credit
10:14because he's playing a position that doesn't score assists
10:19or is not so much on the score sheet all the time.
10:25But for me, he's one of the best players right now in the world.
10:29Not just because he won so many trophies, especially recently,
10:37but also because he's so smart.
10:39He doesn't make any mistakes.
10:42He's always there.
10:44He's barely injured.
10:46He plays all the games and all the games on such a high level.
10:52On top of that, he's a great guy.
10:55He's a very great guy.
10:56He's humble.
10:57He's down-to-earth.
10:59He's just an amazing person.
11:05That combination, I think, makes him irreplaceable.
11:09He's someone that, if there's someone maybe in our team right now
11:14that is irreplaceable, for me it's definitely Rodri.
11:17He's such an important puzzle piece.
11:21He deserves to be named one of the best players in the world, definitely.
11:25You've recently announced your international retirement.
11:28That must have been a difficult decision for you.
11:30Can you explain why you decided to take that step?
11:35Well, the last few years have been very intense.
11:41I think it was the right time for me.
11:43After the Euros in our home country, in Germany,
11:46even though in terms of success on the pitch we were not that successful,
11:51but I feel like we had a great atmosphere in the team.
11:54Also, leading the team by being the captain in the tournament
11:58was a big honour for me.
12:02But with the amount of games also coming up,
12:05with the intensity of the last years,
12:08I just felt like it's the right moment for me
12:11also to spare a little bit more time for the family, for my little one.
12:16Because you have to imagine when there's an international break,
12:20you play on a Saturday or Sunday and then you have to go straight,
12:25you have maybe one night at home,
12:27and you have to go straight to the national team.
12:29And then you are ten days away, you come back,
12:32and you go almost straight back into training.
12:36So you have to sacrifice a lot of time.
12:41That could be also time for the family,
12:43especially when you have kids, I think it's even more important.
12:46And in my age, I think right now, in the situation that I am in,
12:52I think it's the right decision.
12:56Of course it's sad, because one chapter ends,
13:00but I'm looking forward to the future
13:02and I am happy and at peace with my decision right now.
13:07I'm happy to spend also a bit more time with family.
13:12Away from the field, are there things that you missed about Manchester
13:16and that you're looking forward to engaging with again?
13:19Yes, believe it or not,
13:21but I have also friends outside of football in Manchester.
13:26Actually, a lot of people in the last couple of days,
13:29they messaged me and they asked me if the rumours are true.
13:33And a lot of people I didn't answer yet, to be honest,
13:36because it was not done and we were still working on it.
13:42So obviously there are a lot of people in Manchester that I know,
13:46and I'm really looking forward to see everyone again
13:49and to meet everyone again,
13:51to go for coffees in the city centre.
13:54As you may know, I live in the city centre,
13:56so it's quite easy to walk out to go for a coffee,
14:00which we love to do as a family, to be honest.
14:02And I hope the weather is well enough and not so rainy
14:07that we will be able to do that.
14:10But I'm really looking forward.
14:12I arrived yesterday in my old, new apartment.
14:15I kept it throughout the whole year.
14:18And we arrived there yesterday and honestly,
14:20it felt like home immediately.
14:23I was just happy to be there and to relax and be balanced.
14:29Yeah, it was a joy.
14:31And I believe you decided to take the number 19 shirt,
14:34which obviously used to be occupied by your friend
14:37and former international teammate Leroy Sane.
14:40Was there any reason for 19?
14:44A little bit.
14:45There was a little bit of thinking behind it.
14:48Obviously, number 21 and 22 were free as well.
14:51And I was last year 22 in Barcelona.
14:54I was 21 in the German national team.
14:57But I didn't win any trophies with these numbers.
15:00So I thought, OK, number 19 is between 18 and 20,
15:05between my two friends, Bernardo Silva and Stefan Ortega.
15:08So that might be a sign, you know?
15:11And I just went for it.
15:12So let's see.
15:15It's hopefully not the number that will have a big influence.
15:19It will be the way I am playing, the way I am behaving
15:22and the way we will be as a team.
15:25And I can assure you that we will try our best to win a lot.
15:29I'm sure you've seen in the last few days
15:31that the City fans on social media and across the internet
15:35have been kind of beside themselves with excitement.
15:38Have you got a message for the City fans as you sit here today?
15:43Well, I'm very thankful. I'm very grateful.
15:47I feel privileged to be back.
15:49I had an incredible time here.
15:52I hope my time from right now will be just even better.
15:56I promise I will do my best to be even better than I was.
16:02But it feels just so nice to be home, you know?
16:05And I'm really thankful for the welcome
16:07because I'm normally not that type of guy
16:10who looks so much into social media.
16:13But, you know, when something like that is closed
16:16and the people start to talk about it,
16:19I mean, a reality also is that I left last year.
16:22So there could be a lot of people that say,
16:25OK, he left, we don't want him back or whatever, you know?
16:29But I read a little bit and, you know,
16:32like 99.9% was just amazing and positive, you know,
16:37and people wishing me to come back.
16:40And then on top of that also the messages
16:42that I got here from Manchester, you know,
16:44from the people here in Manchester,
16:46were just also positive, you know.
16:48And it just showed me that this decision is just so right
16:52and it feels also so right, to be honest,
16:54that I am just happy to be here right now.
16:57Yeah, there's a lot of love for you, Ilkay.
16:59So everyone at City has delighted you back
17:01and congratulations on being here and good luck for the season.
17:04Thank you so much, thank you.