Ilkay Gundogan reportedly left Barcelona feeling disappointed due to the behavior of two of his former teammates. Despite spending just one season in Catalonia after leaving Manchester City, where he won the club’s historic Treble in 2023, Gundogan signed a two-year deal with the Catalan giants only to make a surprise return to his former club this summer. Barcelona aimed to offload his over-£200,000-a-week salary. Although allowed to leave on a free transfer, Gundogan’s decision may have been influenced by his difficulties in getting along with two prominent figures in the dressing room. Pep Guardiola was pleased to have his midfield general back at Manchester City under changed financial circumstances.
This summer saw the exciting comeback of ex-skipper Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City.
The midfielder only stayed at Barcelona for one season before departing on a free transfer.
After contributing to Manchester City’s historic Treble victory in 2022-23, Gundogan left the Etihad Stadium. According to Bar Canaletes, the midfielder had issues with club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen and former Borussia Dortmund teammate Robert Lewandowski. Journalist Joan Fontes mentioned on a radio show that Gundogan felt Ter Stegen was not vocal enough in the dressing room and kept to himself too much, making it hard for them to work together. He also disagreed with Lewandowski’s focus on individual performance rather than team development, particularly when it came to younger players. This is not the first time Gundogan has expressed frustration with his teammates, as he publicly criticized Barcelona’s performance after defeats to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
It is rumored that Gundogan was displeased with Robert Lewandowski’s decision not to assist the younger players on the team.
The player seemed to have difficulty with his fellow player Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s reserve. Lewandowski, along with Ronald Araujo, was pinpointed by Gundogan as key targets during his post-game media talk. Lewandowski played a role in Vitinha’s goal, which highlighted Barcelona’s defensive weaknesses that Gundogan spoke out against without mentioning specific players. Gundogan emphasized the importance of not allowing players to shoot freely and criticized the team for not following defensive strategies they have practiced. He acknowledged the mistake of not stepping out to defend, leading to the second goal, and expressed frustration over the unnecessary errors made during the game.
