Former Germany national team captain İlkay Gündoğan has reflected on his family’s immigrant history, recalling moments when he felt subjected to stricter scrutiny because of his Turkish roots while calling for a more confident and unified approach to cultural diversity.
Roots in the Ruhr Valley
Gündoğan pointed to the journey of his grandfather, Ismail, who arrived in Germany’s Ruhr region in 1973 under the bilateral recruitment agreement signed between West Germany and Turkey on October 30, 1961, welt.de reported. The agreement was initially struck to alleviate labor shortages in the post-war West German economy. According to data from the Federal Agency for Civic Education, approximately 870,000 Turkish workers migrated to Germany before the recruitment stop was enacted in November 1973, while roughly half a million returned during the same period.
Born in Gelsenkirchen in 1990, Gündoğan built a decorated club and international career that included winning the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund, capturing the UEFA Champions League with Manchester City, and captaining Germany at the 2024 European Championship on home soil. He announced his retirement from international football immediately following the tournament.
Gündoğan Finds Motivation in Prejudice and Dual Heritage
Reflecting on growing up with dual heritage, Gündoğan noted that he occasionally encountered prejudice. welt.de reported that the midfielder, currently contracted with Galatasaray, experienced instances where he felt that glances or evaluations directed at him were notably stricter due to his background. Rather than deterring him, he said those moments served as added motivation.
“Both my German and my Turkish influences belong to my identity and have shaped me as an athlete and as a person,” Gündoğan said.
He emphasized that the core values of his upbringing mirror the ethos of the Ruhr region—a place where community and hard work matter more than ancestry. For him, standing on the pitch as Germany’s captain while his family listened to the national anthem in the stands represented a full-circle moment honoring the sacrifices made by his grandfather.
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