Fans have noticed an error in Pep Guardiola’s gesture to Ilkay Gundogan after Gundogan’s wife became pregnant.
Sara Arfaoui, Gundogan’s partner, gave birth to their first child, a baby boy named Kais, in March.
This event occurred just one day after the former Manchester City captain scored in a 7-0 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig.
While many of his City teammates sent congratulatory messages, Guardiola, who was Gundogan’s neighbor in Manchester City center, showed up at Gundogan’s apartment with a bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion.
The Germany international told the story in an in-depth interview withBILDand while it was a classy move on Guardiola’s part, plenty believe the gesture was a little lost on Gundogan.
The 32-year-old, who is of Turkish heritage, is from a Muslim family and those who follow the religion of Islam do not drink alcohol.
It prompted a flurry of responses on social media.
One wrote: “Showed up with a bottle of champagne to a Muslim’s house.”
A second said: “They were next door neighbours and gundo’s Muslim.”
A third concurred: “Showing up with an alcoholic beverage to a Muslim man and a pregnant woman’s house.”
A fourth added: “Bringing champagne to a good Muslim brothers house who is on his deen when his wife is pregnant. This was the moment Gundogan decided to leave City.”
A fifth opined: “This is so disrespectful. How are people fine with this?”
A final user asked: “Who did he think was going to drink the champagne?”
Gundogan had actually given Guardiola a bottle of champagne for his birthday a few years back and he knocked on his midfielder’s door with the bottle and three glasses.
In his Players’ Tribune piece, he wrote: “My friend opened the door, and it was Pep! We were both really surprised, because Pep is such a private guy.
“We had seen him around in the elevator and stuff, but he had never been in my apartment. He had brought the champagne bottle and three glasses. He ended up staying for an hour or so, just to chill. It reminded me that, even though we play football, this profession is also about humans, you know?”
The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder departed City after captaining them to a historic treble in his final game and signed for Barcelona.
He made the decision after the Champions League final and was not able to say his goodbyes in person, instead informing Guardiola over the phone.