Ilkay Gundogan reveals shock with former Barcelona teammate | OneFootball

Ilkay Gundogan may have left Barcelona last summer to return to Manchester City, but he still keeps up with his former club on a regular basis.

On Sunday, he will likely watch them in action in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid, and as per TRS (via Sport), he revealed that he watched the first Clasico of the season.

“I saw the last Clasico, where Barcelona won 0-4. It’s one of the most important football matches that can be seen and I will continue to watch it from a distance.”

Gundogan reflected on his time at Barcelona during the interview, and one of the standouts was La Masia. In particular, he recalled a memorable moment with Pau Cubarsi, who broke into the first team last season.

“Before making his debut with Cubarsi I saw him train and I knew he had a lot of talent. I was surprised, I thought I was 20 or 21 years old. Xavi’s assistant told me that he was 17, and I was shocked.

“I think there is something very special about La Masia. The way these kids grow and learn… If you look at Barcelona’s history, you’ll see that they’ve always had a lot of players from the academy along with more experienced players. That mix is what makes Barcelona special.”