Mesut Ozil announced that he was quitting the Germany national team in three lengthy and explosive social media posts on Sunday.
The Arsenal midfielder, who is a third generation Turkish-German, says he feels “unwanted” by his country, citing “racism and direspect” he has faced in recent weeks.
The announcement comes in the wake of criticism the 29-year-old has received following a meeting with controversial Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the disastrous World Cup in which defending champions Germany crashed out in the group stages.
Here is Ozil’s statement condensed into 10 key points (scroll down for the statement in full):
1. Says he has ‘two hearts’: one German and one Turkish
2. Defends the meeting with Erdogan saying it had ‘no political intentions’ and was ‘about me respecting the highest office of my family’s country’
3. Questions why former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus did not receive the same scrutiny after being pictured with Russian president Vladimir Putin, asking ‘does my Turkish heritage make me a more worthy target?’
4. Says he was ‘really hurt’ and made to feel ‘unwanted and unworthy’ by his former school after it cancelled a recent visit
5. Hits out at national team sponsors Mercedes for removing him from promotional material ahead of the World Cup and asks why the German FA (DFB) did not publicly demand an explanation from the car-maker following its recent emissions scandal
6. Criticises the media for not paying more attention to his charitable work which includes recently helping ’23 young children life-changing surgeries’
7. Saves his most severe criticism for the DFB and its president Reinhard Grindel, who he says belittled and patronised his opinions when the two met before the World Cup, and questions whether he should still hold his post for opinions on Islam which Ozil says are ‘unforgivable and unforgettable’
8. Explains he is choosing to speak now because he will ‘no longer stand for being a scapegoat’ and says that while he used to ‘wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement’ he no longer feels that way
9. Highlights the double standards in treatment of German players with mixed backgrounds, saying Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose are never referred to as ‘German-Polish’ and questions whether this is ‘because it is Turkey’, or because ‘I am Muslim’
10. Details the vile abuse he and his family have received on social media, in hate mail and in threatening phone calls, saying it has represented ‘a Germany of the past… and a Germany that I am not proud of’
Full statement
More on football:
Where next for Germany after their humiliating World Cup exit?
How Germany’s media reacted to their World Cup horror show
Gary Lineker has updated his famous quote after Germany exited the World Cup
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