Mesut Ozil: Arsenal star is a player who splits opinion like no other

Mesut Ozil touched down with Arsenal in Singapore as the aftershock of his retirement from international football echoed around Europe.

There was Bayern Munich's tax-dodging president Uli Hoeness spouting off in Bild, an array of politicians keen to kick the football and an official response from the German FA (DFB) rejecting his accusations of racism.

Ozil's stance divided opinion, whether it was perceived as a dignified and belated act of defiance in the face of unacceptable bigotry or an act of self-pity by an under-performing player.

Nothing new there, then. He has been dividing opinion since long before he and Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City posed for a photograph with Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey.

'Some people love him, some people hate him,' said Erkut Sogut, Ozil's agent, eight months ago. 'He's a very polarising footballer.' In Germany, the Arsenal star has increasingly come to polarise on political grounds.

Ozil is a third-generation immigrant born in Gelsenkirchen, the son of a Ruhr Valley coalminer who resisted the advances of Turkey as a teenager and pledged his footballing life to the country of his birth, winning 92 caps and the World Cup.

He is also a practising Muslim who spends much of his free time in Istanbul, the city which is home to his girlfriend Amine Gulse — a model and actress who was born in Sweden of Turkish descent and is a former Miss Turkey.

'I am German when we win but I am an immigrant when we lose,' said Ozil as his patience finally snapped.

He explained how the row with a fan as he left the pitch in Kazan following the defeat against South Korea which sealed Germany's World Cup exit had been racially motivated, as was much of a tirade of online abuse and hate mail.

The long statement he issued on Sunday and his claims of racial discrimination by DFB president Reinhard Grindel struck at the heart of an immigration crisis that threatens to topple Angela Merkel's government. 'An alarm signal,' said Germany's justice minister Katarina Barley.

The far right seized on the issue and cited Ozil as an example of 'failed integration' policies, but foreign minister Heiko Maas responded by saying: 'I don't think the case of a multi-millionaire living and working in Britain says much about integration in Germany.'

There were also calls for Grindel to quit, plenty of praise for Ozil's courage and applause from Turkey. 'What Mesut Ozil went through and how he was treated is unforgivable,' said Gulnur Aybet, a senior adviser to President Erdogan. 'There is no excuse for racism and discrimination.'

From the Arsenal family, there came messages of support. 'Surreal that someone who has done so much for his country on and off the pitch has been treated with such disrespect,' said Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin on Twitter. 'Well done Mesut Ozil for standing up to this behaviour.'

It is only a few weeks since Ozil missed the end of the last Premier League campaign with a back injury after he was criticised for his performance in the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid. Even away from the complexities of German politics and religion, he divides opinion.

Those who come to be labelled luxury players often do — particularly in northern Europe where football fans and media like to see blood, sweat, tears and other clear signs of commitment.

Rightly or wrongly, it is intrinsic to the culture in England and Germany and Ozil's style and body language let him down.

He rarely tackles, he doesn't chase back much and often walks. He can also deliver the most sublime moment of brilliance you are likely to see, be it a pass, long or short, a flash of skill, a cross or a finish.

His 72million followers across various social media platforms are never slow to tell you how the statistics prove his influence.

According to Opta, no German international had made more assists since his debut and no player created more chances per 90 minutes at the World Cup than Ozil.

He started only two games in Russia and Germany, lost them both but he was not the only member of the team who did not perform to his potential.

'There is no perfect player,' said Arsene Wenger, in an interview for RTL last week. 'They all have flaws but you don't make a living out of your weaknesses, you make a living out of your strengths. Therefore the coach must emphasise the strengths as much as possible and put players around this person who hide his weaknesses.'

Wenger's philosophy and Ozil's creativity ought to have been perfect together but the pair seemed to bring the worst from each other. One, a coach willing to trust the talent, the other a talent drifting, in need of a guiding hand to push and pull.

Now Wenger is gone and, despite all the questions about his suitability to the English game, Ozil signed the biggest contract ever granted to an Arsenal player at £350,000 a week until 2021. Only Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United earns more in the Premier League.

Of all the challenges facing new boss Unai Emery — stepping into a role occupied by Wenger for 22 years — this is the big one.

Can he crack the Ozil enigma? Can he do what Wenger could not? Can he build a team to maximise the talents of this playmaker? Can he clear Ozil's mind and motivate him?

If he can, Arsenal might be the beneficiaries from this breakdown in relations between the German and the DFB.