[Politics] Ozil resigns as a German international

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

"Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil says he no longer wants to play international football for Germany.

In a lengthy statement, the 29-year-old said treatment he had received from the German Football Association (DFB) had made him "no longer want to wear the German national team shirt".

He also claimed he was being blamed for Germany's disappointing World Cup.

In May, Ozil was criticised after being photographed with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a London event.

Ozil attended the event with fellow Germany international Ilkay Gundogan. Both Ozil and Manchester City's Gundogan are of Turkish descent.

Ozil says he and Gundogan talked about football with the president.

Afterwards, photographs were released by Turkey's governing AK Party in the build-up to elections in the country, which Erdogan won outright.

Many German politicians questioned Ozil and Gundogan's loyalty to German democratic values."

And at that point I end the quote.......

An old joke:

Supermarket queue, kiddy playing up. After a long harangue mother says 'if you don't behave you'll get a sound thrashing when your dad gets home.'

Fellow with wispy beard standing behind says 'Ahem. In Germany we don't beat our kids'

Woman replies 'In England we don't gas our Jews'.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I’m surprised there’s not been a few more resignations to be honest.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Didn't Sane resign before the World Cup?

 

[Beach Hut]

Trouble is he is very much a form player, nearly scored early on the Amex last season then disappeared without trace for the rest of the game.

 

[vegster]

Can you " resign " from a position that is an ongoing selection game by game ?

 

[Milano]

There is something very dislikeable about Ozil, I can't put my finger on it. He should be thanking whatever lords he worships at least 10 times a day for finding himself at such a high level in his profession because in all honesty he's actually not that good, the ultimate luxury player, needs the team he is in to be better than the team he is playing against to have an impact, I've never seen him influence or change a game where the team he is in is struggling. He was absolutely toilet at our place last season.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Can you " resign " from a position that is an ongoing selection game by game ?

You can resign from the position of being available for selection. I might have written 'retire' but you don't retire while giving the finger.

 

[Saunders]

There is something very dislikeable about Ozil, I can't put my finger on it. He should be thanking whatever lords he worships at least 10 times a day for finding himself at such a high level in his profession because in all honesty he's actually not that good, the ultimate luxury player, needs the team he is in to be better than the team he is playing against to have an impact, I've never seen him influence or change a game where the team he is in is struggling. He was absolutely toilet at our place last season.

Bollocks he is from a traditional ignorant point of view a player that doesnt like it up him and apparently doesnt work despite covering more ground than most. He is a Gross he plays exactly the same position he is a world cup winner and not the most to blame from watching their games. There is a very poisonous media attention against him, the same would be for pogba if he had not delivered this time (but just wait for the next).

Edit I think you need to learn more of the turkish migrant situation in Germany, they were not allowed to claim German citizenship for a very long time so there was a sense of turkish community set by the state. The law has now changed but was too late for Ozils generation.

 

[Mr Putdown]

I’ve just read the full transcript of his resignation letter and blimey, he certainly doesn’t pull his punches.

Never thought I’d feel sorry for him but after reading that, I understand his decision totally.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Bollocks he is from a traditional ignorant point of view a player that doesnt like it up him and apparently doesnt work despite covering more ground than most. He is a Gross he plays exactly the same position he is a world cup winner and not the most to blame from watching their games. There is a very poisonous media attention against him, the same would be for pogba if he had not delivered this time (but just wait for the next).

Spot on.

Easy to forget how far we English have come.....notwithstanding some of the occasional nobbery on NSC.

 

[Shooting Star]

I'm not really too sure what to make of this as an outsider who only has his performances for Arsenal, Germany and a few BBC news stories to go by. Clearly, the racist comments he has received and the hate mail are completely unacceptable, and I can understand why his position in the team has become untenable due to the rift between him and DFB President Grindel.

However, I do feel like Özil is at fault here too. Footballers are people but they also need to use their intelligence and common sense more often. I'm not sure how Özil is viewed in Germany as a player, but for Arsenal I'm sure many a Gooner and a neutral are getting a bit sick of his inconsistency in games. If Germans share the same view, then he needs to realise that he may be a scapegoat for any poor performance that may come leading up to a World Cup (irrespective of heritage). David Beckham was our scapegoat in 98. All countries have them after disappointing exits. Rooney in many ways was in 2010 and 2016. Therefore, meeting the Turkish president, a contentious figure, just before the World Cup was a short-sighted move. If Özil in one breath bemoans being classed as "German-Turkish" whilst Klose and Podolski were never "German-Polish", then he can't in another call Erdogan his president when meeting him. If you embrace the dual heritage in your personal life, the public are going to consider you a dual citizen.

I think Özil has set himself up for an inevitable fall here, something that could have only been diverted by a positive World Cup for Germany. I'm not sure this is so much a race problem rather than being smarter about your media presence before a tournament. And I also don't think Özil is going to be terribly missed in the German set up as Löw is going to have to rebuild that squad from the bottom up and let the likes of Sane be the focal points.

 

[Milano]

Bollocks he is from a traditional ignorant point of view a player that doesnt like it up him and apparently doesnt work despite covering more ground than most. He is a Gross he plays exactly the same position he is a world cup winner and not the most to blame from watching their games. There is a very poisonous media attention against him, the same would be for pogba if he had not delivered this time (but just wait for the next).

Edit I think you need to learn more of the turkish migrant situation in Germany, they were not allowed to claim German citizenship for a very long time so there was a sense of turkish community set by the state. The law has now changed but was too late for Ozils generation.

I need to learn jack shit about a migrant situation in Germany, it's ****ing football.
If the law was too late for his generation then how come he didn't choose to play for Turkey then? He didn't seem too bothered about 'migrant situations' when he was winning a world cup and demanding massive salaries from Arsenal despite the team he was in getting nowhere near titles or European trophies.
I couldn't give a **** about politics in football, calling it as I see it, I think he's overrated, as a footballer. Now it's gone downhill he's throwing toys. He wasn't the only one but he was AWFUL in Russia so I don't blame their media for calling that out.

 

[Algernon]

His eyes are offside, his eyes are offside.
Mesut Ozil, his eyes are offside!

Prima Donna!

 

[mooey]

Tragic.i ve read his statement all seems to make sense.Regardless of how good or isn't on the pitch doesn't deserve the stick he s getting.being dropped by sponsors to go to your school is a disgrace and he has done a lot of good.very sad .feel for him.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Löw is going to have to rebuild that squad from the bottom up and let the likes of Sane be the focal points.

I disagree about rebuilding from bottom up. They merely need to ship out the aged World Cup winners and replace them with their understudies. They do need a decent number 9 though, which they don’t currently have anywhere in the reserves or u23s etc.

 

[Saunders]

I need to learn jack shit about a migrant situation in Germany, it's ****ing football.
If the law was too late for his generation then how come he didn't choose to play for Turkey then? He didn't seem too bothered about 'migrant situations' when he was winning a world cup and demanding massive salaries from Arsenal despite the team he was in getting nowhere near titles or European trophies.
I couldn't give a **** about politics in football, calling it as I see it, I think he's overrated, as a footballer. Now it's gone downhill he's throwing toys. He wasn't the only one but he was AWFUL in Russia so I don't blame their media for calling that out.

Clearly you do need to learn. Born in Germany you still couldnt claim German citizanship (it has changed now) but the hypocracy of FIFA rules meant they could play for Germany. As he points out Podolski and Klose were allowed to play for Germany under the "right to return" rules. He wasnt the worst by far of their team and the racist undertones can be challenged.

 

[Saunders]

I disagree about rebuilding from bottom up. They merely need to ship out the aged World Cup winners and replace them with their understudies. They do need a decent number 9 though, which they don’t currently have anywhere in the reserves or u23s etc.

I think losing Podolski and Klose was underestimated and they will return for the next one.

 

[studio150]

Whether he would have been selected post world cup is debatable given that many players within the German squad under performed and a rebuilding of the national team needs to start.

However, I can fully understand his reasoning for stepping down. He has made a stand on based on his background both as a migrant and a Muslim, which he feels he needs to make.

It will be interesting to see if any of the German players or Joachim Low make or are allowed to comment on the rationale for Ozil's decision.

 

[Saunders]

I'm not really too sure what to make of this as an outsider who only has his performances for Arsenal, Germany and a few BBC news stories to go by. Clearly, the racist comments he has received and the hate mail are completely unacceptable, and I can understand why his position in the team has become untenable due to the rift between him and DFB President Grindel.

However, I do feel like Özil is at fault here too. Footballers are people but they also need to use their intelligence and common sense more often. I'm not sure how Özil is viewed in Germany as a player, but for Arsenal I'm sure many a Gooner and a neutral are getting a bit sick of his inconsistency in games. If Germans share the same view, then he needs to realise that he may be a scapegoat for any poor performance that may come leading up to a World Cup (irrespective of heritage). David Beckham was our scapegoat in 98. All countries have them after disappointing exits. Rooney in many ways was in 2010 and 2016. Therefore, meeting the Turkish president, a contentious figure, just before the World Cup was a short-sighted move. If Özil in one breath bemoans being classed as "German-Turkish" whilst Klose and Podolski were never "German-Polish", then he can't in another call Erdogan his president when meeting him. If you embrace the dual heritage in your personal life, the public are going to consider you a dual citizen.

I think Özil has set himself up for an inevitable fall here, something that could have only been diverted by a positive World Cup for Germany. I'm not sure this is so much a race problem rather than being smarter about your media presence before a tournament. And I also don't think Özil is going to be terribly missed in the German set up as Löw is going to have to rebuild that squad from the bottom up and let the likes of Sane be the focal points.

Trying to equate this, if David Beckham had won the word cup four years before (can you imagine the god like status of that here) and and then blamed in the next world cup because of his nationality.

 

[portlock seagull]

Everything wrong with the modern game and globalisation in general. People have 3, 4 even 5 different passports and pick their ‘nationality’ as it suits without any loyalty to any. Not just in sport but health, law, employment, tax, even national service! Not surprisingly those belonging to ‘only’ 1 state will be more patriotic and can you blame them for taking a dim view of such types. Ozil deserves all the condemnation coming his way, the big...