Gündogan: It certainly seems to have been the right moment. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be in the same position if Jürgen Klopp had stayed. Thomas Tuchel has brought in his own ideas, new ideas, and in many ways an entirely different culture of football.
DFB.de: In what ways?
Gündogan:He wants us to see more of the ball, which suits a lot of our players. We want to dominate our opponent as much as we can, and I think you can see that. Our individual players have also improved too, with certain ones that were struggling for form last season now crucial to our side.
DFB.de: This style suits you, does it not?
Gündogan: Definitely. I like to have the ball at my feet and to play around the lines - particularly short passes. I am enjoying it a lot at the moment, and it suits me.
DFB.de: Do you see the five-point gap to Bayern as being assailable?
Gündogan: The fact of the matter is, Bayern will have to drop points somewhere. If they don’t do so, then we wont have a chance. We want to please our fans with an entertaining style of football.
DFB.de: And finally, how much are you looking forward to the European Championships this summer? Butterflies already?
“Looking ahead,” says the Germany international, “we want to cap what has been a good season for us so far.” One way they could do so would be to win their third European Cup, a feat that only five clubs have ever achieved. Gündogan wasn’t completely aware of this until he witnessed BVB fan’s choreography ahead of the Porto match. There is now “extra motivation” going into their round of 16 tie against Tottenham Hotspur (Thursday, 19:00 CET). Ahead of this exciting match, Ilkay sat down with DFB.de’s Nils Hotze.
DFB.de: Your opponents have had a very good season so far, and currently occupy second position in the Premier League. They also have a certain Harry Kane up top. Are you expecting a good side?
Gündogan: We have strengthened defensively in 2016, and we need to prove this against Tottenham in the Europa League. If we are able to keep a clean sheet then I think we can be confident. We’re determined to win the match, and we have to dominate in front of our home fans – regardless of what team we are playing.
DFB.de: Last Saturday, according to captain Mats Hummels, you “competed at the highest level of world football” against Bayern München. The game ended 0-0, and you remain five points behind them in the table. Are you looking to secure second in the Bundesliga or snatch first?
Gündogan: First and foremost, we need to concentrate on ourselves and ensure that we finish at least second position. Anything more will be extremely difficult. There is quite a big gap to first, just like there is to third place too – we are somewhat isolated in the table.
DFB.de: You are actually the best second-placed side in history. Did you truly expect to be competing with Bayern so soon after your difficult season last year?
Gündogan: I certainly did expect us to find our form again and to return to the top end of the table, but not to the extent which we have done so far. You have to remember the gap we have to third position, it’s a very unique situation. I have read that our current points haul would be enough for first position in many previous seasons, just not this one. On the one hand that’s a shame, but it shows that we are back on the right track.
DFB.de: Was last summer the right time for a change of manager in your opinion?
Gündogan: It certainly seems to have been the right moment. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be in the same position if Jürgen Klopp had stayed. Thomas Tuchel has brought in his own ideas, new ideas, and in many ways an entirely different culture of football.
DFB.de: In what ways?
Gündogan:He wants us to see more of the ball, which suits a lot of our players. We want to dominate our opponent as much as we can, and I think you can see that. Our individual players have also improved too, with certain ones that were struggling for form last season now crucial to our side.
DFB.de: This style suits you, does it not?
Gündogan: Definitely. I like to have the ball at my feet and to play around the lines - particularly short passes. I am enjoying it a lot at the moment, and it suits me.
DFB.de: Do you see the five-point gap to Bayern as being assailable?
Gündogan: The fact of the matter is, Bayern will have to drop points somewhere. If they don’t do so, then we wont have a chance. We want to please our fans with an entertaining style of football.
DFB.de: And finally, how much are you looking forward to the European Championships this summer? Butterflies already?
Gündogan: To be honest the EUROs are still a long way off. There are lots of games in between, and opportunities to win titles. I’m not really thinking about it that much at this stage, but I am sure I will start to with the international friendlies against England and Italy at the end of March.
