06.06.2024 21:50
The Turkish-German captain of the German National Football Team, Ilkay Gündoğan, who has been subjected to racism, made controversial statements in an interview with Spiegel magazine. Ilkay, who stated that he is not the captain because he is an immigrant, said, "I know that Germany needs people like me in leadership positions because we reflect the 'new reality' of Germany. We may look different, but we are also German. I know that I can be a role model."
The Turkish-origin captain of the German National Football Team, Ilkay Gundogan, made striking statements about the racism he faced and his team captaincy in an interview with Spiegel magazine. The experienced player, who said "I didn't become captain because of my immigrant background," added, "I know that Germany needs people like me in leadership positions because it reflects the 'new reality' of Germany. We may look different, but we are also German. I know that I can be a role model."
"I AM PROUD TO BE CAPTAIN"
The star footballer replied, "I didn't become captain because of my immigrant background. It has nothing to do with one another. It is about how my teammates and the coach see and accept me. If your team sees you as open, honest, and a good person, then you become the captain. It is about what I represent as a human being, not my background."
"WE MAY LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT WE ARE ALSO GERMAN"
Ilkay Gundogan stated that he knows that Germany needs people like him in leadership positions because it reflects the "new reality" of Germany. He said, "We may look different, but we are also German. I know that I can be a role model. But I don't want to emphasize this too much." The experienced midfielder, who played football with German, Turkish, Arab, and Asian friends in his childhood neighborhood, said, "This was the Germany I grew up in."
"EXCEPT FOR MY MOTHER, MY WHOLE FAMILY WERE GALATASARAY FANS"
When asked about the team his family supported in Turkey, Ilkay shared, "Except for my mother, my whole family were Galatasaray fans. My mother was a Fenerbahce fan, and she had a hard time at home because of it. I also had Galatasaray bed sheets."
"THE ALTINTOP BROTHERS WERE MY IDOLS"
Ilkay Gundogan, who said that he saw Hamit and Halil Altintop brothers as his idols in his childhood, stated, "They were also from Gelsenkirchen like me and had Turkish parents. They resembled me and were very successful in the Bundesliga."
"IT WAS PAINFUL WHEN PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT ME"
When asked if he ever felt like he didn't belong to the German National Team, Ilkay replied, "There were moments when I perceived the criticisms towards my game as people not wanting me there. It was especially painful. However, at some point, I realized that the situation was not always like that, and I only occasionally played poorly."
WHAT HAPPENED?
In a survey conducted on the German television network Westdeutscher Rundfunk's (WDR) program "Sport Inside," one out of every five participants expressed that they wanted to see more "white players" in the German National Football Team, and 17% of the participants stated that it was "sad" that the national team captain, Ilkay Gundogan, had Turkish origins. Technical director Julian Nagelsmann and the players reacted to the survey, claiming that it was racist. Ilkay Gundogan had previously stated, "It is sad that we are still conducting and giving so much importance to surveys like this in this day and age."