19.08.2024 19:40
33-year-old Turkish-German football player İlkay Gündoğan has announced that he is retiring from the German national team. İlkay stated in his announcement, "After thinking for a while, I have decided that it is time to end my international career. I remember each of the 82 national matches I played with great pride, representing my country." The experienced midfielder also added that he will continue to support the German national team as a fan.
The 33-year-old Turkish-German footballer İlkay Gündoğan, who plays for Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga, has announced that he is retiring from the German national team.
"THE TIME HAS COME TO QUIT"
The experienced footballer stated, "After thinking for a while, I have decided that it is time to end my international career. I remember each of the 82 national matches I played with great pride, representing my country. My greatest honor was leading our team as captain in the European Championship we hosted last summer! We managed to make our country proud again after years. However, I started to feel a fatigue in my body and mind before the tournament, which made me think. Matches at both club and national team level are increasing."
"THANK YOU, GERMANY"
Gündoğan, who said he will continue to support the German national team as a fan, concluded his words as follows;
"I will definitely continue to support the national team as a fan, and hopefully we can continue the upward trend together. There is no doubt that we will be one of the strongest championship contenders in the 2026 World Cup. We have a great coach, a very strong team, and an excellent team spirit. I would like to thank all the fans, staff, coaches, and teammates who accompanied me on this journey. It was an honor for me! Thank you, Germany!"