Overview
- Ilkay Gündogan publicly defended Jürgen Klopp in an interview published Thursday, saying he is glad Klopp is Germany’s coach despite the team’s poor start.
- Gündogan warned the German squad is weaker than top rivals Spain, France and England, and said that reality must not become an excuse for early exits at major tournaments.
- He recalled a heated incident at Borussia Dortmund when Klopp angrily scolded him and then apologised about half an hour later, using the story to illustrate Klopp’s intense but honest leadership.
- Gündogan highlighted Klopp’s record of taking struggling teams such as Dortmund and Liverpool from the bottom to title winners and said that rebuilding Germany will be hard for the players but possible.
- As an 82-cap former captain now at Galatasaray, Gündogan’s endorsement could temper public pressure on Klopp and signal patience while the coach tests a wide pool of players and reshapes the squad.