Barcelona midfielder İlkay Gündoğan has come under fire by way of the German Football Association.
This comes amid long-standing criticism of the former Manchester City man, owing to his performances on the international stage.
Gündoğan, of course, is widely regarded as one of world football’s finest in his role, boasting a stellar combination of technical ability, eye for goal, creative flair, and extensive experience.
Whence lining out for Germany, in particular over the last 12 months, though, the 33-year-old has often failed to produce anything close to his best form.
Such struggles recently drew criticism from ex-Die Mannschaft star Dietmar Hamann, who suggested that new head coach Julian Nagelsmann had made a mistake in handing Gündoğan the captain’s armband.
And such concerns have today been echoed by Ralph-Uwe Schaffert, vice president of the German FA.
Speaking to the media, as cited by Spanish outlet Marca, Schaffert went as far as to joke that Gündoğan has been sending his ‘less talented twin brother’ to take his place on international duty:
“lkay Gundogan plays outstandingly for his club and then plays in such a way for the national team that one could think: Has he sent his less talented twin brother? I don’t understand it!”
Conor Laird | GSFN
