Gundogan snaps at reporter over readiness as Galatasaray exile deepens ahead of Barcelona clash

Ilkay Gundogan has delivered a pointed rebuke to his own situation at Galatasaray, telling reporters “I’m not playing — so why should I be ready?” when asked about his availability ahead of the club’s Champions League fixture against Barcelona.

The former Manchester City captain, now 35, has been reduced to a peripheral figure at the Turkish club this season, accumulating just 11 minutes of playing time and sitting as an unused substitute in each of Galatasaray’s last six matches. The sharp contrast with his debut campaign — in which he made 38 appearances across all competitions — underlines how dramatically his standing under manager Okan Buruk has deteriorated.

The timing of his comments adds an extra layer of significance. Gundogan spent the 2023-24 season at Barcelona before rejoining Manchester City and then moving to Galatasaray last summer, making the upcoming Champions League tie against his former Catalan club a fixture loaded with personal history. His public scepticism about featuring suggests the relationship with Buruk has broken down considerably.

The frustration is particularly stark given the terms in which Gundogan spoke about joining Galatasaray earlier this year. In February, he described the move as the fulfilment of a childhood ambition. “I achieved one of my biggest childhood dreams,” he said. “I grew up watching that football club, idolising the players, growing up with all the memories connected to the club. Wearing that shirt, playing in that stadium in front of these amazing fans — it’s maybe not even something I dreamt about when I was young because it was so far away and maybe so not realistic.”

With his contract at Galatasaray set to expire next summer, Gundogan has already begun speaking openly about what comes next. In an interview with Sky Germany, he pointed to Nuremberg — the club where he began his professional career — as a possible destination in some capacity. “I still have a very close connection to Nuremberg because the club means a lot to me,” he said. “I can definitely imagine returning one day, in whatever role that may be — whether it’s for one or two years as a player, or later as a sporting director or coach. Everything is possible.”

For now, though, Gundogan finds himself watching from the sidelines at a club he once dreamed of representing, with a Champions League reunion against Barcelona on the horizon that he may not be part of.