Revealed: Barcelona issued apology to furious Ilkay Gundogan after making ex-Man City star and his wife Sara Arfaoui feel 'abandoned' upon their arrival in Spain

• Gundogan reportedly felt abandoned by Barca
• Midfielder allegedly complained to the club
• Apology then issued to the player & his family

WHAT HAPPENED? A report in Spain suggests that Gundogan was less than satisfied at the level of support Barcelona offered when he had newly arrived in the country after leaving Manchester City. SPORT claims that the player and his wife even felt 'abandoned', given how keen the club were to sign him, and had expected help with various logistics like housing, transport and other procedures. The 33-year-old reportedly complained to the club to let them know things could be improved and an apology was soon forthcoming, with SPORT adding that Gundogan is not the only player this has happened to.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: On Saturday, Gundogan expressed publicly his displeasure with Barcelona's reaction to their Clasico defeat to Real Madrid. "I would like to see more anger, more disappointment," he said. "This is part of the problem. They have to express more emotions when you lose and when you know you can play better, you have to do better in certain situations and we don't react." The German's performance, which included a goal, had been one of the highlights for Barcelona on an otherwise disappointing day.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA? After a clear week since the Clasico, Xavi's team return to the pitch on November 4 with an away trip to Real Sociedad. After that, they head to Germany to face Shakhtar Donetsk on neutral ground in the Champions League.