Pep's absolute faith in Gündogan" 34 years old ↑ broke the unwritten rule of not picking a veteran"

Aug 24, 2024

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"Guindoan broke the unwritten rule to renew his contract."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola told the behind-the-scenes story of the recruitment of Ilkay Gündogan 'The Return Captain'.

Ilkay Gündogan returned to Manchester City just a year after leaving for Barcelona as a FA. It is the return of the captain who led Manchester City's treble (winning the FA Cup, League, Champions League) in the 2022-2023 season. Gündogan signed a one-year contract with Manchester City with his number 19. It is also known that an option to extend it by 12 months is included.

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Guardiola's special trust relationship with the player played a role in the recruitment of Gündogan.

Gündogan is a veteran player who will turn 34 in October. Since coming to Manchester City, Guardiola has set the principle of not signing too old a player, an unbroken unwritten rule before Gündogan. However, Guardiola, who heard that Gündogan wanted to return to Manchester City 14 months after leaving for Barcelona, wasted his principles without hesitation.

Guardiola said "As a manager, I don't like signing players in this age group. But I know him well and his mindset is right. "He is a very competitive player and his financial situation in Barcelona has allowed him to come back for free." "We talked about this part and 'Okay! I can do it.came to the conclusion that ' Negotiations between clubs were not up to me and the salary was not up to me. Once the incident happened, we had to try it." Guardiola said yes immediately after the call with Gündogan and welcomed the recruitment of Gündogan, who has the ability, experience and soccer intelligence to play various roles looking for midfielder positions.

Ahead of the match against Ipswich on the 24th, Guardiola announced Rodri's injury and said, "Guendo Ando Mateo Kovacic, Nico O'Reilly and Mateus Nunes can play in the same position as Rodri." "Lordry and Guendoan can play as attacking midfielders and also as No. 9. Gündogan is a player who can play various roles. As a soccer player, I know well what to do to play in various positions. Everyone looks up to Guendoan. He is very smart, has excellent analytical skills, and is a team player who puts teams and clubs ahead of individual performances." Gündogan, who showed solid performance with five goals and 13 assists last season at Barcelona, played his first training session at Manchester City on the 23rd. Guendoan, who has lifted 12 trophies in seven years at Manchester City, including treble in the 2022-2023 season, will join Manchester City for its fifth consecutive league victory in the new season.

Gündogan also said in a comeback interview released by the Manchester City club that `The seven years I spent here have been satisfactory both on and off the field. He grew up as a person and player in Man City and achieved amazing success and achievement through special relationships with fans. I'm grateful to be able to come back to Manchester City" expressed his feelings. Then "Everyone knows how much I admire Guardiola. Guardiola is the best leader in the world. You become a better player when you're with him. You are constantly challenged. This is what all professional players want," he said, expressing his faith in Guardiola.

Gündogan also played many games last season. In terms of playing time, he can't play more than that. This is proof that I'm still competitive and ready," he said, expressing confidence in his physical strength and skills that defy the years. "Every day, I set a higher standard a little bit and I am constantly trying to become a top player. This is why the club continues to succeed because the best talent is together. "Why not lose five consecutive games with these players?" he said, clearly expressing his intention to challenge another new history.

sky4us@sportschosun.com