ARSENAL stars have shown their support for Mezut Ozil amid his feud with Unai Emery by liking a cryptic Instagram post quoting club legend Dennis Bergkamp.
The former Germany international, 30, has become an outcast at the club, not even making the bench for recent games with Huddersfield and BATE Borisov.
In fact, Ozil has played just 102 minutes of first-team action in 2019 under Emery and has now spoken out with a pensive post on social media.
The ex-Real Madrid star's post read: "When you start supporting a football club, you don't support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history...
"You support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong."
The post was "liked" not only by Bergkamp himself, but also a hatful of Ozil's Arsenal team-mates.
Alexandre Lacazette, Alex Iwobi, Granit Xhaka and Sead Kolasinac all hit the "like" button, while ex-Emirates star Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain followed suit.
The public show of support could hint at dressing room unrest over Emery's treatment of Ozil.
There was talk of the playmaker leaving the Gunners in January - but a host of big-name clubs including Paris Saint-Germain were put off by his £350,000-a-week wages.
Recently it emerged Ozil was locked in a stand-off with Emery, with neither man prepared to back down.
Emery has made it clear that Ozil is not part of his plans and that he wants the ex-"assist king" to leave at the end of the season.
potatoe
81
It's pretty obvious the board and top executives want Özil gone for financial reasons. However, the idea that Emery would bench or exclude a player for those reasons seems like utter bollocks to me. Ornstein (I think it was him) said a few months ago that Özil "wasn't the type to change", in regards to Emery's style of play. I think that's where the conflict is coming from with Özil and Emery. Özil won't adapt to his style of play to suit Emery. Even in Özil's autobiography he mentions how Mourinho would be tough on him even after good results and he couldn't understand why. I think Emery is doing something similar by trying to get a rise out of him but it just doesn't work on Özil, at least not at this stage of his career.
vadadlosyz
37
It's pretty obvious the board and top executives want Özil gone for financial reasons. However, the idea that Emery would bench or exclude a player for those reasons seems like utter bollocks to me. Ornstein (I think it was him) said a few months ago that Özil "wasn't the type to change", in regards to Emery's style of play. I think that's where the conflict is coming from with Özil and Emery. Özil won't adapt to his style of play to suit Emery. Even in Özil's autobiography he mentions how Mourinho would be tough on him even after good results and he couldn't understand why. I think Emery is doing something similar by trying to get a rise out of him but it just doesn't work on Özil, at least not at this stage of his career.