Why Man City's Ilkay Gundogan Was Jeered by German Fans During Friendly Win Against Saudi Arabia

Ilkay Gundogan was booed by the German fans present at the BayArena during Germany's friendly against Saudi Arabia on Friday night.

Germany went into the half time break 2-0 up thanks to a Timo Werner opener and an own goal from Omar Othman, however Saudi Arabia made a very good account for themselves and set up a tense final five minutes after Taisir Al Jassam pulled one back for the visitors. 

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Germany were able to hold on for the win, however it was a far from convincing performance with just a matter of days before they begin the defence of their World Cup in Russia. Despite the tight game, it was another moment of controversy which stole the headlines.

In the 57th minute, Joachim Low brought on Gundogan - with the Manchester City midfielder receiving a hostile reception in front of his home fans. The boos were sparked by a meeting in May between the midfielder met with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip and referred to him as "my president."

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Gundogan is of Turkish descent, however qualifies to represent Germany having grown up in Germany since his youth years, with the Sun reporting that although Gundogan admits he has a “strong connection” to his country of birth, he is “privileged to have grown up in Germany.”

Unfortunately for him, the German fans had little sympathy for the Premier League winner who was jeered every time he touched the ball for the final half-hour of the game. 

He'll be hoping to get back into the good books of the German fans with some good performances at the upcoming World Cup as he looks to help his nation defend their title.