Ilkay Gundogan Bela Leroy Sane dari Kritik Tajam Publik Jerman

Mantan kapten tim nasional Jerman Ilkay Gundogan pasang badan membela Leroy Sane setelah sang penyerang sayap menerima kritik tajam dari publik usai kemenangan telak Jerman 7-1 atas Curacao pada laga pembuka Piala Dunia.

Sorotan negatif tetap mengarah kepada Sane yang dianggap sebagai titik lemah dalam pertandingan tersebut, bahkan muncul desakan agar pelatih Julian Nagelsmann mencoretnya dari susunan pemain utama Jerman.

Gundogan yang kini bermain bersama Sane di Galatasaray memiliki pemahaman mendalam mengenai karakter mantan rekan setimnya di Manchester City tersebut setelah menghabiskan bertahun-tahun di klub dan tim nasional.

Melalui kolom khusus di media Der Spiegel, Gundogan memberikan pembelaan terbuka dan menyatakan bahwa publik Jerman tidak memahami karakteristik serta tekanan mental yang dihadapi sang pemain.

"Leroy and I spent a lot of time together. So I can say that I know him well. And that’s why it affects me when I see how critically he’s often viewed in Germany.

Even after the 7-1 win against Curaçao, some consider him the loser of the match. Some are even demanding that Julian Nagelsmann drops him from the starting lineup. I think people don’t understand Leroy.

And I think they’re doing him an injustice. Leroy is a polarizing figure. I understand that.

But as a player, it’s incredibly difficult to deal with mentally. Leroy often feels like people are just waiting for him to make a mistake. I notice that he isn’t always as mentally free as he needs to be for his style of play.

He’s a player who needs room to make mistakes. Only then can he truly flourish. But if he’s constantly worried that the first mistake will immediately trigger criticism, how can Leroy perform consistently?

We all need to do more to support him" tulis Ilkay Gundogan, Mantan Kapten Timnas Jerman.

Gundogan menilai performa seorang pemain menyerang saat ini kerap kali hanya dihakimi secara instan melalui cuplikan video singkat di media sosial tanpa melihat kontribusi taktis secara keseluruhan sepanjang pertandingan.

"The problem with modern football is that fans often don’t watch the entire 90 minutes anymore. Everything boils down to the highlights. As an attacking player like Leroy, you need goals and assists.

Otherwise, you’re quickly considered a failure. As teammates, however, we see things completely differently. Take another close look at the game against Curaçao.

See how Leroy sprinted back 60 meters to support Joshua Kimmich in defense. That’s what his teammates really pay attention to. Is he helping me?

Is he there when we need him? Does his run create space for his teammates? Ultimately, Leroy, as an attacking player, must also be judged on goals and assists.

That’s the nature of the business. Everyone has to accept that. But we footballers also evaluate a player’s work ethic for the team.

And that was certainly there against Curaçao" tulis Ilkay Gundogan, Mantan Kapten Timnas Jerman.

Gundogan yang kini berusia 35 tahun juga tidak menampik bahwa Sane merupakan sosok pemain emosional yang terkadang mudah berkecil hati di lapangan saat melakukan kesalahan teknis.

"Leroy has a problem: he gets too easily discouraged by mistakes on the pitch. He’s a very emotional player. I often tell him he needs to work on that.

But I hope that people will take a closer look at what Leroy Sané is really like. In my opinion, he can no longer be considered a controversial figure." tulis Ilkay Gundogan, Mantan Kapten Timnas Jerman.

"I think people don’t understand Leroy. And I think they are doing him an injustice," tulis Ilkay Gundogan, Mantan Kapten Timnas Jerman.

Gundogan menegaskan bahwa Sane sebenarnya adalah pribadi yang pemalu dan tingkat kepercayaan dirinya sangat dipengaruhi oleh penilaian dari luar.

"He is a player who needs space to make mistakes. Only then can he truly flourish. But if he is constantly worried that the first mistake will immediately lead to criticism, how is Leroy supposed to perform consistently? We all need to do more to support him," tulis Ilkay Gundogan, Mantan Kapten Timnas Jerman.

Kekhawatiran akan penilaian negatif penonton membuat kebebasan bermain Sane yang mengandalkan insting sepak bola menjadi terhambat.

"I can tell that he is not always as mentally free as he needs to be for his instinctive style of play. When he doesn’t know people well, he becomes very cautious." tulis Ilkay Gundogan, Mantan Kapten Timnas Jerman.

Meski menuai gelombang kritik dari publik, posisi Sane di skuad utama tetap aman setelah pelatih memastikan dirinya menjadi starter untuk laga kedua melawan Pantai Gading pada Sabtu malam.