Main image via India.com
Mesut Ozil is quitting Germany’s national football team after receiving intense criticism over a picture of him with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Image via Evening Standard
He condemned the German federation (known as DFB), its president, fans and the news media, criticizing them for what he said was racism and double standards in the treatment of people with Turkish roots.
The 29-year-old Arsenal midfielder said that he would “no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst I have this feeling of racism and disrespect.” He added that racism should never, ever be accepted.
Image via The Statesman
“The picture we took had no political intentions,” said Ozil, adding that it “was about me respecting the highest office of my family’s country.”
He also stated that German media suggested that Ozil was partially responsible for Germany’s surprising early exit from the World Cup. “This crosses a personal line that should never be crossed, as newspapers try to turn the nation of Germany against me,” Ozil said.
Info via The Guardian
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