The vast majority of Mesut Ozil’s Germany teammates have not come out in support of their compatriot, but the classy midfielder has been backed by his Arsenal mate Hector Bellerin on Twitter.
On Sunday, Ozil kicked up a storm with a three-part statement detailing why he was retiring from international football.
The 29-year-old, a third generation Turkish-German, claimed to have been subject to double standards by the German media and accused the DFB President Reinhard Grindel of attempting to make him a scapegoat.
After making his international debut in 2009, Ozil played for Die Mannschaft 92 times and played a crucial role towards the nation’s World Cup triumph in 2014.
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However, the playmaker feels that his Turkish heritage and the fact that he’s a practicing Muslim make him an easy target. He went on to accuse the media of attempting to turn the German public against him and even claimed that “When we win, I am German, but when we lose I am an immigrant.”
Here’s Bellerin’s repsonse to Ozil’s original post:
Surreal that someone who has done so much for his country on and off the pitch has been treated with such disrespect. Well done @MesutOzil1088 for standing up to this behaviour! https://t.co/w1dvWOHFYN
— Héctor Bellerín (@HectorBellerin) July 23, 2018
It is a sad day for German football indeed if one of its finest players choses to quit for such reasons.
The last of his kind, Ozil has revelled in the No.10 role and his sublime assists, more than anything else, have made him an household name.
A five-time winner of the national team’s Player of the Year award, the former Real Madrid man left many fans swooning with his exquisite displays of skill.
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Germany’s loss, however, could be Arsenal’s gain as the club stand to get the best years out of the playmaker.
With no national team commitments, the Gunners’ highest-earner is likely to channel all his energies towards getting the club back to the top of the English football pyramid.
Currently in Singapore with the rest of his Arsenal teammates, Ozil will be seen in action on Thursday when the North Londoners take on Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup.