YAYA VIEW ON OZIL IS HALF-BAKED

FOR a bunch of antidemocratic torturers and thugs, China’s government do seem very sensitive to criticism. Mesut Ozil (right) has now been erased from the Chinese edition of the Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 game, for fear of upsetting the Chinese market after his public opposition to the country’s treatment of Uighur Muslims. Now here’s an interesting opportunity. What if other players asked to be withdrawn from it, too, in solidarity with Ozil? What if the lickspittles at PES were suddenly without a whole host of famous names? The players have more power than they realise. ‘Footballers have to stay with football and politicians to politics because you cannot be involved with this kind of thing,’ said Yaya Toure, most recently to be found at Qingdao Huanghai. ‘I think Ozil was wrong to say that.’ Indeed. Far more edifying as a grown man to whinge about nobody giving you a birthday cake.