Quitter Ozil c**p says Uli
29-year-old on Twitter following his decision to retire.
“His 35 million followers, that of course do not actually exist in the real world, believe that Ozil has played exceptionally when he successfully finds his man with a square ball,” he said.
Ozil, capped 92 times, won the World Cup with Germany four years ago. But he was widely criticised and ridiculed for his displays in Russia this time around as the defending champions crashed out in humiliating fashion after finishing bottom of their group.
Ozil claimed the German Football Association (DFB) wanted him out of the team before the tournament, after he and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan were photographed meeting Turkey’s hardline president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been condemned for his human rights record.
Ozil, who has Turkish grandparents, revealed his family had received hate mail, threatening phone calls and abuse on social media.
But Hoeness added: “He is hiding himself and his poor performances behind this photo.”
Arsenal team-mate Hector Bellerin, however, leapt to the defence of Ozil, who is away with the Gunners on a pre-season tour to Singapore.
The defender said: “Surreal that someone who has done so much for his country on and off the pitch has been treated with such disrespect.”
Kick It Out said Ozil’s treatment was “reflective of the experience of a number of footballers across Europe from mixed heritage backgrounds”.
But a DFB statement said: “We emphatically reject the DFB being linked to racism. The DFB has been very involved in integration work in Germany for many years.
“The DFB regrets the departure of Mesut Ozil from the national team. However, this does not change the determination of the association to continue the successful integration work consistently and with deep conviction.”