Germany split over Ozil’s national team retirement
Arsenal footballer causes stir with racism claims after uproar over photo with Turkey’s President Erdogan
A DRAMATIC announcement from one of Germany’s biggest football stars that he was quitting the national team after being treated with “racism and disrespect” set off political uproar yesterday.
Mesut Özil, who has played for Arsenal since 2013, was condemned by most German politicians, who accused him of betraying the country’s democratic values with his apparent support for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s President.
Özil, whose grandparents immigrated from Turkey, announced his immediate retirement from international football in a series of emotional tweets in which he said: “If we win, I’m German. If we lose, I’m an immigrant”.
His claims were dismissed by Heiko Maas, the foreign minister: “I don’t see what a millionaire living in England tells you about integration in Germany.”
Germany’s most prominent politician of Turkish heritage accused Özil of letting down immigrants. “I’m glad to say many German Turks living here support a democratic Turkey. Mesut Özil let them down as a role model,” the Green Party’s Cem Özdemir said.
The row centres on Özil’s decision with Ilkay Gündogan, the Germanturkish Manchester City player, to pose alongside Mr Erdoğan and give him signed football shirts during the President’s campaign visit to London in May.
The players were booed at friendly games in June and many commentators blamed ill feeling within the team over the photographs for Germany’s disastrous World Cup performance. Gündogan apologised but Özil had until now remained silent.
“Although I grew up in Germany, my roots are in Turkey,” he said. “My mother taught me never to forget where I came from. These are still my values today. The photo was not about politics but about respect for the highest office of my family’s country.” The explanation was rejected by many German politicians. “I expect a clear commitment to our values, especially when it concerns someone like Mr Erdoğan, from people who live here and enjoy all our freedoms – freedoms which Mr Erdoğan denies his countrymen,” said Thomas Strobl of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat Party.
“Members of the national football team have to put up with criticism if they offer themselves for election campaign purposes,” Annette Widmannmauz, the German government’s integration commissioner said.
But Özil said he had been the victim of racism. He said a fan had called him a “Turkish pig”; a prominent theatre figure told him to “p--- off to Anatolia”; and a politician called him a “goat-f-----”. He said: “Despite paying taxes in Germany, donating to schools and winning the World Cup in 2014, I am still not accepted into society.”
Uli Hoeness, the president of Bayern Munich and a World Cup winner with West Germany in 1974, said Özil “had been playing s--- for years … he last won a tackle before the 2014 World Cup”.
Katarina Barley, the justice minister, voiced support for Özil. “It’s an alarm signal when a great German footballer like Özil no longer wants to be in his country because of racism.” He also won the support of the Turkish government.
“I congratulate Mesut Özil, who scored his greatest ever goal against the fascist virus with his departure from the German national team,” said Abdulhamit Gül, the Turkish justice minister.
Mrs Merkel’s spokesman paid tribute to Özil’s achievements and said his decision “must be respected”.
Paul Hayward: Sport, pages 8-9