Mesut Özil announces his retirement from football

Özil’s career in brief

Mesut Özil has announced his immediate retirement from professional football, ending his career at Turkey’s Basaksehir after a stint at Arsenal. He won 92 caps for Germany before quitting the team amid controversy in 2018.

Özil bids farewell

In a statement posted to his social media channels, the 34-year-old thanked his clubs and coaches, as well as team-mates who had become friends. He also thanked his family and closest friends for their support throughout his career.

Reaction to Özil’s retirement

Arsenal expressed “thanks for the memories,” while Real Madrid tweeted its “appreciation, admiration and affection for one of our great players”. Germany coach Hansi Flick, who knows Özil from his days as assistant of Joachim Löw, hailed him as one of the country’s “outstanding national players.”

Özil’s departure from Germany

Özil courted controversy after posing for a photo with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan prior to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After the tournament, he retired from the German team, accusing the German Football Federation (DFB) of racism and failing to protect him against racist comments.

Farewells from fellow professionals

Germany striker Niklas Füllkrug and Real and Germany defender Antonio Rüdiger both paid tribute to Özil’s talent and achievements in the game following his retirement announcement.

Credit: https://starconnectmedia.com/world-cup-winning-german-midfielder-mesut-ozil-retires-from-football/

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