Ilkay Gundogan’s Wife Narrates Challenges of Being a Footballer’s Wife

Ilkay Gundogan’s Wife Narrates Challenges of Being a Footballer’s Wife

Rene Otinga
updated at February 13, 2024 at 5:36 PM
  • Sara Gundogan recently opened up on being a footballer’s wife
  • The 28-year-old is married to Man City star Ilkay Gundogan
  • She is set to feature in a new reality TV show

Football stars’ wives are usually the envy of many ladies across the world, for obvious reasons.

But behind all the glam and publicity that comes with being a so-called WAG is some challenges within oneself, and no one knows this better than Barcelona star Ilkay Gundogan’s wife Sara.

Sara Gundogan has been married ti Ilkay Gundogan since 2022
Gundogan's wife Sara says being a footballer's wife is not all rosy. Photo: @saraguendogan/Joan Valls.
Source: Getty Images

The lovely 28-year-old recently opened up about what it was like being the wife of a top footballer, admitting that she had to make some huge sacrifices, including shelving her own dreams.

She spoke in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail where she revealed that unlike popular belief, being a WAG is not all that rosy.

“As a wife sometimes you are on the side,” Sara, who is a model and worked as a TV presenter told the Publication.
She went on, “The people knew me before as a media star but when I became a wife, there is the tendency of the press to show wives of players in a certain way and it's like we have to fit this cliche.”

According to Sara - previously Sara Arfaoui, she had to turn down several job opportunities in Italy to focus on being a mother after the birth of her son.

She said: "It's tough (to balance everything), because I have given up so much. The hard part is always people tend to imagine we have everything because we are with this successful man."

"But a successful man has his own career. He is successful. It doesn't bring success to you. Looking at yourself in the mirror and feeling like I'm doing something is a much nicer feeling than just having a lifestyle because of someone else.

Despite the challenges, Sara admits she is excited to put herself out there again to try to forge her own path.

New reality TV show

One of the projects Gundogan’s partner is involved in is a new reality TV series ‘Married to the Game’, which features several WAGS, including Riyad Mahrez’s partner Taylor Ward.

A trailer of the show has already hit the internet, with a few teasers on how the ladies relate to their superstar partners.

When did Gundogan get married?

Former Manchester City midfielder Gundogan got married to his partner Sara in 2022 in a gorgeous wedding ceremony.

They tied the knot in May before Gundogan returned to Manchester City for an important Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

Riyad Mahrez's wife reaction to Saudi move

Elsewhere, Sports Brief reported on how Riyad Mahrez’s wife reacted to news that her hubby would be moving from Manchester City to Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal.

Taylor Ward, daughter of former Premier League star Ashley Ward, admitted she was shocked by the news as she thought Mahrez would return to Manchester City for pre-season.

The sultry lass, who has over 2.8 million followers on Instagram, is set to star in the same docuseries as Gundogan’s wife.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.