Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from International football on Sunday. In May, he experienced the unfair discrimination surrounding his meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan which eventually was the prime reason for him calling it a day.
FIFA World Cup 2018 saw early eviction of the German side as a result of a poor performance in the group stage. The title defence came to a surprising premature end the 29 year old was the target of criticism for his performances as well as his meeting with Mr. Erdogan who has been accused of human rights abuses.
Also read: Official BCCI app shows MSD as Captain, gets trolled on Twitter
“For me, having a picture with President Erdogan wasn’t about politics or elections, it was about me respecting the highest office of my family’s country,” Ozil said in a statement on Twitter.
Many German politicians questioned Ozil and Gundogan’s loyalty to German democratic values. Germany has previously criticised the Turkish leader’s crackdown on political agenda’s.
However, Mesut Ozil said he would have been “disrespecting his ancestors’ roots” had he not posed photographs with the Turkish president.
“I used to wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement, but now I don’t. I feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international debut in 2009 has been forgotten.”, he said.