İlkay Gündoğan, the Turkish-born captain of the German National Football Team, made striking statements about the racism he was exposed to and his role as team captain in an interview with Spiegel magazine. “I did not become a captain because I am of immigrant origin,” said the experienced player, adding, “I know that Germany needs people like me in management positions because it reflects its “new reality”. Maybe we look different, but we are Germans too. I know I can be a role model.”
“BEING A CAPTAIN MAKES ME PROUD”
The star football player said, “I did not become a captain because I am of immigrant origin. One has nothing to do with the other. This is about how my teammates and the coach see me. If your team sees and accepts you as an open, honest and good person, you become the captain. This is not about my origins, but about my humanity.” “It’s about what I represent as a person,” he replied.
“MAYBE WE LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT WE ARE GERMAN TOO”
İlkay Gündoğan stated that he knows that people like him are needed in management positions because they reflect Germany’s “new reality” and said, “Maybe we look different, but we are Germans too. I know I can be a role model. But I do not want to emphasize this too much.” Explaining that he played football with his German, Turkish, Arab and Asian friends in the region where he lived as a child, the experienced midfielder said, “This was the Germany where I grew up.”
“ALL MY FAMILY WAS GALATASARAY FANS EXCEPT MY MOTHER”
When asked about his family’s favorite team in Turkey, İlkay shared the following: “The whole family, except my mother, were Galatasaray fans. My mother was a Fenerbahçe fan and therefore had a hard time at home. I also had Galatasaray bedding.”
“ALTINTOP BROTHERS WERE MY IDOL”
Stating that he saw the brothers Hamit and Halil Altıntop as idols in his childhood, İlkay Gündoğan said, “They came from Gelsenkirchen, like me, and had Turkish parents. They were similar to me and were very successful in the Bundesliga.”
“THE MOMENTS WHEN PEOPLE DID NOT WANT ME WERE PAINFUL”
Asked if he ever felt like he didn’t belong in the German National Team, İlkay said, “There were moments when I perceived the criticism of my game as some people not wanting me there. This was especially painful. However, at some point, I realized that it wasn’t always the case, just sometimes it was a bad situation.” “I also realized that I was playing a game,” he replied.
WHAT HAPPENED?
One in five people who participated in the survey conducted in the “Sport Inside” program broadcast on the German television network Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) wanted to see more “white players” in the German National Football Team, and 17 percent of the participants said that national team captain İlkay Gündoğan He stated that it was “sad” that he was of Turkish origin. The players, especially coach Julian Nagelsmann, reacted to the survey on the grounds that it was racist. İlkay Gündoğan had previously commented, “It is a pity that we are still conducting such surveys and attaching so much importance to them in this period.”
Son Dika › Sport › Controversial words from İlkay Gündoğan, who was exposed to racism: I am German too – Last Minute
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2024-06-08 16:31:37