The struggles of FC Barcelona continue to remain well-documented in the world of football. The Catalan giants seem to bounce away from one controversy to another without any stoppages. However, most of these controversies simply exist outside the club.
The Catalans are undoubtedly going through a tough period in their 2022-23 season. In their last few games, Barça have been far from convincing in terms of their performances. Moreover, even certain players have been highlighted as being unhappy.
One such player was German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. The former Manchester City player was regularly included in the news as being unhappy with the club or simply missing Manchester City. However, while his entourage previously denied it, he now seems to have taken matters into his own hands.
In a recent interview, as highlighted by SPORT, Gundogan took it upon himself to back both Xavi and Barcelona. He stated that coming to Barcelona was something that he had always dreamt about and he finally got to fulfill that wish this summer.
“Barcelona was my dream. I’ve always wanted to play for this club one day and this summer was my chance.”
The manager he previously worked under at Manchester City was none other than Pep Guardiola. A legendary figure within the lore of Blaugrana, Gundogan reveals that he still maintains a close relationship with the former Barcelona manager and current Manchester City head coach.
“I recently visited him (Guardiola) at his house in Barcelona and we talked. He told me that if I or my family needed anything, I could always contact him.”
Lastly, Gundogan claimed that he continues to have faith in Xavi. While many criticize the manager and the current form of his Barcelona side, the German maintains full faith in his manager.
“I came to Barcelona because of Xavi, and we are very compatible.”
He was then asked to compare the difference between playing under Guardiola and his new Barcelona manager, to which Gundogan replied that there were not as many differences as people may think.
“Guardiola has many years of experience, while Xavi is in his fifth season as a coach and his third season in Europe. But his vision of football is very similar (to Guardiola).”
Currently on international duty with Germany, Gundogan will return to Barcelona near the end of the month. The Catalan giants will then look to return to action against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.
