Ilkay Gundogan jeered by Germany supporters again during Saudi Arabia friendly

Gundogan was photographed along with Mesut Ozil with Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month at an event in London in which he caused anger by dedicating a shirt to Erdogan – describing him as “my president".

Both players, who are of Turkish descent, were whistled by their own fans during the defeat in Austria last Saturday, prompting team manager Oliver Bierhoff to urge supporters to refrain from heckling them in Leverkusen on Friday.

"For all the irritation we have now, we are one team, also in Germany with our fans," he said. "Sure, things took the wrong direction a bit. But we are now looking ahead. And that's why I hope that everyone, even though maybe still annoyed, withholds their anger a bit."

The saga escalated when the Manchester City midfielder, who only holds German citizenship, was discussed by the German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and chancellor Angela Merkel amid a debate over the integration of the footballers into German society.

But when Gundogan emerged as a second-half substitute at the BayArena, his every touch was roundly booed by those in attendance.

Low reacted by throwing his hands over his head before gesturing for the fans to clap. He told ARD following his side’s 2-1 win: “He is a member of the national team. That doesn’t help anyone.”