By: Oma Akatugba
Mesut Özil has declared his retirement from the German national football team. Among other reasons, he cited racism and lack of respect on the part of the DFB.
Mesut Özil will no play for the German national football team. The 29-year-old Arsenal midfielder made this announcement on Sunday evening via his Twitter handle. Özil sighted racism, lack of respect and the way in which the German Football Association (DFB) after the departure of the national team at the World Cup in Russia with him as his reasons for deciding to quit.
The past couple of weeks have given me time to reflect, and time to think over the events of the last few months. Consequently, I want to share my thoughts and feelings about what has happened. pic.twitter.com/WpWrlHxx74
— Mesut Özil (@M10) July 22, 2018
Özil wrote how the DFB “and many others had treated him”, led him to the decision not to wear the jersey of the German national team anymore. He felt unwanted and had the impression that everything he had achieved since his debut in 2009 was forgotten. “I will no longer play for Germany on an international level,” said Özil.
He made his decision “with a heavy heart”, and after careful consideration of the recent events, Özil wrote. He always wore the DFB jersey proudly. The decision was tough, “because I have always given everything for my teammates.” However, if high-ranking DFB officials treated him as they did recently and did not respect his Turkish roots, that was enough. He would not sit back and do nothing, according to Özil: “Racism must never be accepted.”
The first statement on the photos with Erdoğan.
The resignation statement followed as the third part of a statement Özil shared on Sunday through his social media channels. In the two previous sections, Özil spoke at noon, among other things, for the first time on his photo with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He also criticised the way the German media and sponsors dealt with him. “I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish,” said the former Real Madrid midfielder.