Barcelona will be reunited with Gundogan on Tuesday, but the former player is more likely to start on the bench, according to Sport.
Gundogan, who played for Barcelona in the 2023-24 season, is currently experiencing the darkest moment of his career at Galatasaray. The 35-year-old will turn 36 in two weeks, and the German midfielder has become a peripheral figure under Buruk. Galatasaray will face Flick's Barcelona at Rams Park in Istanbul in the second round of the Champions League.
The statistics are striking. Gundogan has played only 11 minutes all season. For a player who won everything with Manchester City, lifted the Champions League trophy, and joined Barcelona as a leader in the dressing room, such a decline is difficult to accept.
The German player, whose contract with the club runs until 2027, does not shy away from his situation. After Galatasaray defeated Kasimpasa 3-1 on Friday, a journalist asked him if he was ready to play against his former club. Gundogan replied, "Why should I be ready if I'm not playing?"
Coach Buruk offered an explanation after the team's heavy 0-4 defeat to Trabzonspor. He stated that he was pleased with Gundogan's performances in training and detected no negativity. However, he admitted that the competition in midfield was too fierce to give everyone playing time. Furthermore, his plan was to reinstate the Torreira-Lemina partnership, which he considered essential for protecting the defense.
This matter even reached the player's family. Gundogan's wife, Sara, replied to a fan on social media who asked why the German player was absent, telling them to ask his coach.
No one in Istanbul believes his situation will change on Tuesday. Gundogan left Barcelona after just one season to return to Manchester City, and then moved to Turkey, hoping to extend his career with one final challenge. Now, he can only sit on the bench and watch his career head towards an unexpected twilight.
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