Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan on Inter, Istanbul, Erling Haaland and the prospect of finally winning the UEFA Champions League – interview

A losing finalist with Dortmund in 2013, and again with Manchester City in 2021, İlkay Gündoğan has been offered a third chance to win the UEFA Champions League, and is hoping that this time Pep Guardiola's side can get their hands on the only major trophy that has eluded them.

Now 32, the Germany midfielder has won five Premier League titles under Guardiola at City, but he is hoping that with the arrival of striker Erling Haaland, the club now have the missing piece that will help them secure the biggest prize in club football in the country where Gündoğan's parents were born.

On the prospect of playing in the final in Istanbul

[Türkiye is] the homeland of my parents [so to] be able to play in this final, it naturally makes me unbelievably proud. My family are looking forward to it, my friends are looking forward to it, and, of course, I am also looking forward to it very much.

We have incredible quality within the team. We have amazing players. We also have an amazing manager who tactically challenges us again and again, keeps bringing us to a new level and also has solutions to our problems. If it perhaps doesn't work out so well in one particular game, there are always alternatives that we can fall back on. This mix of things is extremely good, and if we are mentally strong and have the same attitude as we have had in recent weeks, then I don't see many teams that can beat us.

On final opponents Inter

Inter didn't get to the final for nothing. They have great qualities even though it wasn't enough for them to win their league this year. But they just won the national cup [Coppa Italia]. They are a team that knows how to win trophies. They are very aggressive in their way of playing. Maybe they are more focused on the defensive side but they also have amazing qualities going forward. They are a very stable team.

They usually don't concede too many goals, so it won't be easy. We know they will probably be happy to let us have the ball, and it will be up to us to make the most of that. We will need to watch out for counterattacks. We have to be wide awake. Especially in a final, anything can happen. So we have to be fully focused.

On Erling Haaland

Right now, he might be the best striker in the world. He brings so much to our team. He gives us a different quality, with his physical strength, with his mentality, with his speed and with his goals too, of course. The last couple of years, we didn't have a classic No9 in the team. Therefore we needed to play a bit more flexibly, a bit differently.

Now we know that we have someone in the box who can control the ball, including high aerial balls. He is very good with his head, and can win battles against tall, strong centre-backs. This adds a whole new dimension to our game. It gives us a new dynamic. And in addition, he brings a great mentality and character. He has helped us a lot already. Let's hope he can also help us in the final.

On Pep Guardiola

When one looks at what he did in Spain, with Barcelona, he has won everything one can win. I played against him myself for many years with BVB against his Bayern team. He was there for three years, completely dominated the Bundesliga, consistently, every year. And now also here, at Man City: five championships in seven years in the most difficult league in the world.

So I don't think you need to say much about his attitude, his mentality, or his way of working, because it's been documented clearly in black and white. His success speaks for itself and he is probably the best manager, at least in my lifetime, anyone has ever seen.

On how much City want to win the Champions League

Let me put it this way, I don't think there is any wish greater than that for our team and the club right now. There is nothing we want more than to win this Champions League.

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