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Ilkay Gundogan recently got featured in his first Indian podcast as he appeared on The Ranveer Show, hosted by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia.
During the course of the podcast, Gundogan offered his thoughts on multiple topics, including Barcelona’s two academy products Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi.
First and foremost, though, Gundogan talked about his time as a Barcelona player and what it was like playing in the Clasico.
Gundogan on playing in Clasico
“I watched the last Clasico when Barça won 4-0. It’s one of the biggest games in football you can watch and I will continue to watch it from afar,” he said.
Talking about the first ever Clasico he played, the midfielder added, “It was an amazing feeling, scoring in my first Clasico. I wish we had won that game, because I feel we lost it in a completely unnecessary way, and that was the frustrating part of the game.“
During his brief spell at Barça, Gundogan featured thrice against Real Madrid, but he ended up losing each of the three.
Gundogan shares story on Lamine Yamal
Moving on, the Manchester City star shared an interesting story about Lamine Yamal, who had to run to the bathroom in the middle of a game.
“Last season we played against Porto and we were leading 1-0, and everything was going well,” Gundogan started.
“In the second half, at the 60th minute, we suddenly started to suffer. I felt that the opposing team became much better as if they had an extra player.
“After 10 minutes I found out that one of our players left the field and went to the bathroom! It was Lamine,” he said.
The midfielder revealed that Yamal actually had to go to the bathroom and did not return in time, thus leading to his substitution.
“Lamine was an important player so the technical staff did not want to replace him immediately, so they were waiting for him to return.
“When I found out, I said, ‘Guys, what’s going on? We’re playing with 10 men! Don’t you want to make a substitution?’ In the end, they had to make a substitution because they waited so long for him and he didn’t come back,” he added.
Gundogan left Barcelona in the summer (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Gundogan on Cubarsi and La Masia
Gundogan also shared his thoughts on Pau Cubarsi, the other La Masia talent making waves in European football right now.
The young Spaniard has become a first-team regular at Barcelona, moving ahead of Ronald Araujo in the pecking order, thus leading to the Uruguayan international’s uncertain future at the club.
“Before Cubarsi started with the first team, I watched him in training and it was clear that he was very talented,” Gundogan said.
“I was surprised because I didn’t know him when I joined, I thought he was 20 or 21 because he looked mature and had a strong personality and his decisions were like those of a 25-year-old player.
“I was talking to one of Xavi’s assistants and he told me he was only 17 and that’s when I was shocked!” he added.
Finally, the German midfielder heaped praise on La Masia for producing such great talents on a consistent basis.
“I feel there is something very special about La Masia. The way these boys grow up and learn, I don’t know the exact details because I didn’t live it, but I saw the results in training,” he said.
“If you look at Barcelona’s history, you’ll see that the team has always had a lot of La Masia players, along with other more experienced players, whether they were Spanish, Catalan or foreign.
“I think that mix is what has always made Barcelona a special team, and La Masia is a very big part of the club’s identity,” he concluded.
