There is a fitting symmetry between where Barcelona will play their home games this season and the arduous path their latest star midfield signing has traversed.
While the Camp Nou undergoes its drastic renovation, Xavi’s La Liga champions will play their home matches at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys for the 2023-24 campaign. Originally constructed as part of Barcelona’s (unsuccessful) bid to stage the1936 Olympics, the 55,000-capacity arena eventually staged the Summer Games in1992 and is situated on Montjuic, the hill that overlooks the city’s harbour. Ilkay Gundogan, who signed for Barca after his Manchester City contract expired in June, has already climbed mountains to reach his dream destination.
Born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Gundogan grew up supporting Schalke and represented the club as a child, but the first setback of his career arrived when, aged just eight, he was released by his beloved team.
“It was a huge dream of mine to be able in 2011. “For it to be over so quickly was not easy to take.”
