What will become of Leroy Sané in the national team? Former captain Ilkay Gündogan has a clear recommendation for the national team coach.
18.10.2025, 11:30
dpa
Former national team captain Ilkay Gündogan sees the case of Leroy Sané differently to national team coach Julian Nagelsmann. If Gündogan has his way, a DFB comeback will soon be on the agenda for his team-mate. "He's not playing for just any club now, he's still playing for Galatasaray, so he's playing at a high level. For me personally, Leroy belongs in the 2026 World Cup squad for the German national team," Gündogan told Kicker.
At the beginning of August, Nagelsmann explained why Sané (29) was not nominated: "Leroy is now playing in a league that is a tick worse than the German one. He now has to prove himself in the Turkish league and score goals. I don't expect miracles, but I do expect a certain quota." The attacking player moved from FC Bayern to Turkey in the summer.
Ex-captain calls for a differentiated view
Gündogan is critical of the classification based solely on league affiliation. "Spain even became European champions in 2024 with Aymeric Laporte from the Saudi Pro League. There are also examples like that in Portugal and France. And I don't think the Turkish league has been bad at all so far," Gündogan clarified.
You can't compare the Bundesliga with the Premier League either. "Accordingly, you have to look at it all a bit differently," said Gündogan. Germany are back on course for the World Cup after their two recent victories against Luxembourg (4-0) and Northern Ireland (1-0). Two wins in the away game in Luxembourg on November 14 and three days later against Slovakia will be enough to secure a place in the 2026 tournament in the summer.
