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Berlin – Manchester City Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan says he's rediscovered his love of playing for Germany after being applauded – rather than booed – by local fans.
Gundogan, 28, was treated to applause and ovations from home fans after helping to orchestrate Germany 's 8-0 demolition by Estonia in the qualifying match at the FIFA World Cup ™. Euro 2020 Tuesday night in Mainz.
It was far from last year, when Gundogan was booed and whistled by German fans in a pre-World Cup friendly match against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen, after his teammate Mesut Ozil appeared on a photo alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan May 2018.
The political fallout of the photo eclipsed Germany's disastrous campaign at the World Cup and finally led Ozil to pull out of international duties, accusing German football officials of racism.
Gundogan, who like Ozil declined to apologize for the controversial photo, said the applause in Mainz on Tuesday, after being released after converting a penalty in the first half, had helped to heal the 2018 injuries.
"It's really good and it's doing me a lot of good, especially after the bad weather of last summer," he told reporters after the match.
"It was not just me – we all had a very difficult time for Germany."
Other senior players such as Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels have been excluded from the national team to make room for the new generation since the debacle of the World Cup.
However, coach Joachim Loew remained loyal to Gundogan, who showed his clbad with a superb performance against Estonia.
The midfielder said he was "proud" to represent Germany and that the young team was hoping to fight for titles in the coming years.
"Now, it's fun again, both on the field and in the stands, which makes us want more."
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