ILKAY GUNDOGAN knew Manchester City “couldn’t lose” the Champions League because of… Scott Carson.
Gundogan, who just left the Premier League winners for Barcelona as a free agent, captained City to a stunning Treble triumph last season.
Ilkay Gundogan has left Manchester City for Barcelona after winning the TrebleAP
Gundogan knew Manchester City would win the Champions League because of Scott CarsonGetty
The midfielder shone bright in the final when the Citizens beat Inter Milan 1-0 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium.
That was the same venue for Liverpool’s 2005 comeback win over AC Milan, where Pep Guardiola’s reserve keeper Carson was a sub.
And Gundogan, whose grandfather was from Turkey, said: “I couldn’t have dreamed of a better ending than having the final in Istanbul.
“When we got on the bus over to the hotel, I was sitting near Scott Carson. He said, ‘Every time I come to Istanbul, I leave with a Champions League trophy’. With Scott in the squad, we couldn’t lose!”
Gundogan arrived at the Etihad on crutches in 2016 but departed feeling like he is “flying in the clouds”.
The German — Guardiola’s first signing at City — admits telling his gaffer he was leaving is one of the hardest calls he has ever made.
Eyebrows were raised when Gundogan joined City from Borussia Dortmund for £20.4million when he was struggling with a dislocated knee.
Seven years, 304 appearances, 60 goals, five Prem titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups, one Champions League and “hundreds of unforgettable moments” later, the Treble-winning captain leaves a bona fide City legend.
Gundogan, 32, insists it was “Barcelona or nothing” after sealing his move, 16 days on from lifting the Champions League trophy.
And he said: “None of this would have been possible without Pep.
“There are times he is so demanding of how we play and so intense that it can be a bit difficult, mentally.
“But once everyone gets on the same page it almost feels effortless.
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Carson’s record on Champions League Finals motivated Manchester CityGetty
“One of the hardest calls I had to make was to Pep, telling him I was going to leave. All I could do was to say ‘thank you’.
“When I hurt my knee at the end of the season with Dortmund and I had to get surgery, I was so worried City would pull out of the deal.
“But Pep called me and said, ‘Don’t worry, it doesn’t change anything. We want you here. We will wait for you no matter how long it takes’.
“I can only imagine what the fans thought when this guy with the funny name arrived for a lot of money and he was limping around on crutches at the unveiling.
“Well, all I can say is . . . I came here limping on one foot but I leave like I am flying in the clouds.”
A midfielder of impeccable timing, Gundogan saved his best for when it mattered most. His two goals off the bench in May 2022 completed a dramatic final-day comeback against Aston Villa to pip Liverpool to the title.
Carson helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005PA:Press Association
And he scored six goals in his final seven games for City last term — including a double in the FA Cup final win over rivals Manchester United.
Even when they were eight points behind Arsenal in the title race, Gundogan “knew we would win the league”.
Since Gundogan’s Dortmund side lost to Bayern Munich in the 2013 final, the midfielder admits the Champions League had been his “obsession”.
He added: “It seriously haunted me for ten years. Every decision I made in my career since that has been about lifting that trophy. That’s why I came to City.”
Chelsea pipped City in the 2021 final before Gundogan was left sulking in his room after being benched in last year’s semi-final defeat to Real Madrid.
So what changed? For Gundogan, it was not all about the signing of goal machine Erling Haaland.
Speaking to the Players’ Tribune, he continued: “I really have to credit our wives and partners for bringing us a lot closer together this season.
“They organised barbecues in their group chat and it made a big difference.
“This has been the closest team I’ve ever been part of, and that’s part of why we lifted the Champions League.”