Ilkay Gundogan abuse from Germany fans must stop, says angry boss Joachim Low
National chief says the Man City star who was at the centre of a race row that sparked Mesut Ozil's international retirement has done everything to prove he is committed to Germany
FURIOUS Joachim Low has pleaded with Germany fans to stop abusing Ilkay Gundogan.
The Manchester City star, at the centre of a race row which sparked Mesut Ozil’s international retirement, was again booed as he came off the bench in Thursday’s goalless draw with world champions France.
Germany boss Low warned: “This must end now. If a national team player is jeered that does not help anyone.
“What more can Ilkay do? He has shown he supports the values of Germany.
“He was born here, his family and friends are here.”
Gundogan revealed he had seen a psychologist after he and Arsenal star Ozil were racially abused over their Turkish roots.
The pair were branded “goatf*****s” by a German politician and attacked on social media after being .
Ozil accused the German FA, its president Reinhard Grindel and German fans of being racist when he walked out on Low two months ago.
And Gundogan is still feeling the backlash, even if he has apologised.
The jeering continued during the Munich match but Gundogan, 27, somehow managed to remain diplomatic.
He admitted: “I was nervous when I got ready to come on.
“There is a certain amount of nervousness when you do not know exactly how people will react.
“I think that’s only human. There were some boos but I was very pleased that there was a lot of applause.
“I was able to concentrate fully on the game and could go home with a smile on my face.”
Gundogan’s Germany team-mate Thomas Muller leapt to his defence.
He said: “Ilkay played great. He has tried to put the situation behind him. He has shown he is going in a good direction.
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“He identifies himself with Germany 100 per cent. Everybody saw that and we are going back to normality slowly.”
The Ozil row, though, has overshadowed Germany’s bid to host the 2024 European Championship, particularly as Uefa’s executive committee has to decide between them and — inevitably — Turkey on September 27.
Low, having declared the topic “closed” on Wednesday, reopened the debate as he said: “I will take the initiative with Mesut again.
“I still want to know why he has refused to talk to me and blocked all contact. I am deeply disappointed.”
