Gundogan reveals reasons for retiring from German national team as Man City midfielder

In a letter published by BILD, Gundogan, 33, expressed his conflicting emotions about his upcoming trip to Munich for the match against the Netherlands. He reflected on the fact that this match will mark the end of his DFB career, leaving him with a heavy heart.

"The fact that the increasingly full schedule at club level also played a major role and that my body and mind were yearning for a few more breaks was one of the main factors in my decision."

"My years in the national team were certainly not as successful as my career in club football. But at the end of the day, I still played 82 international matches for my home country - a number that I would never have thought possible when I was a young man - a number that I am incredibly proud of!

"My proudest moment was certainly when I was able to lead our team as captain in the opening match of the European Championships at home. A team with which we finally managed to spark euphoria in the country again after so many difficult years."