It’s been five years since UEFA adopted its Champions League reform. One of those who criticized the new model was Ilkay Gündogan. Now, however, the 35-year-old is showing understanding, but he continues to hold fast to one point of criticism.
In the spring of 2021, when the Super League earthquake shook the soccer world, UEFA passed its Champions League reform – and drew criticism for doing so. “With all the Super League stuff going on right now, … can we please also talk about the new Champions League format?” Ilkay Gündogan had asked publicly at the time, questioning the reform itself, arguing that the existing Champions League was ‘great’ and that this was one of the reasons why the premier class was “the most popular club competition in the world—for us players and for the fans.”
Years have passed since then, the new Champions League is already in its second year – and Gündogan now realizes that he was wrong. After initially expressing criticism of the introduction of the new format, he now has to admit that the new format makes soccer “much more exciting,” he wrote on LinkedIn, “even for me, who watches the games on days when Galatasaray isn’t playing. It’s fun to watch.”
The former national player particularly likes the fact that the new format keeps things exciting until the end of the league phase. That wasn’t the case in the past. “In the old format, almost all the groups were decided after only four of six games,” recalled the 35-year-old, noting: “Nowadays, all the top teams fight until the last matchday because everyone wants to achieve the best position for the next rounds. From a sporting point of view, this has significantly increased competitiveness.”
Warning against overload
However, one issue continues to worry Gündogan: the high workload on players. “Between new Champions League formats, the expanded FIFA World Cup and Club World Cup, and international matches, we’re skating on thin ice,” Gündogan wrote, expressing relief that he is already in the autumn of his career and not at the beginning. “I’m glad I’m no longer 17 or 18 years old today. When I imagine that young talents today could end their careers with perhaps over 1,000 competitive games… that’s crazy. We don’t even know the long-term physical and psychological consequences for the players. We need a healthy dialogue between economic interests and the well-being of the main players. The quality of soccer suffers when players can no longer recover.”
Highs, lows, and a whole lot of pride
In terms of sport, Gündogan is in the round of 16 of the Champions League with Galatasaray, but he has often come off the bench recently, including in Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat in Turin. The midfielder, who has been plagued by injuries recently, has not yet lived up to his intended role as a strategist and playmaker in Istanbul. However, that does not change his feelings, as he emphasized that he is “filled with pride” to continue representing Galatasaray at the highest European level. “It’s crazy how many highs and lows we’ve already been through together this season,” said the former ManCity pro, who is likely looking forward to his return to England. Galatasaray will now face Liverpool in the round of 16.
