The Arsenal midfielder has retired from international duty, doing so with a fiery statement that has led to a rebuke from his former manager
Joachim Low has denied that there was ever any racism in the Germany squad after Mesut Ozil retired from international football.
The national team manager picked the Arsenal midfielder in his squad for the 2018 World Cup, but the 29-year-old flattered to deceive as the reigning world champions were knocked out in the group stages.
Low, though, has rejected such allegations, insisting that he has overplayed his allegations."Mesut Ozil has not called me until today," the World Cup-winning coach told the media."Mesut Ozil has clearly overstated his allegations of racism."
Low also says he did not see an issue with the controversial pictures that Ozil and team-mate Ilkay Gundogan took with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which caused many pundits to call for their exclusion from the squad."I think we underestimated the situation with the photos, I too underestimated it," he explained. "I thought, when the two were at Steinmeier, that we could concentrate on the World Cup. This theme has also cost strength. For me it was clear that I picked Mesut Özil for sporting reasons.
"I have not said anything on this incident so far because his advisor called me late in the afternoon on Sunday. He informed me that Mesut would publish the third part of his statement. The player himself did not call me.
"In the past, there have always been good discussions with players in such cases. He has chosen this path, I have to accept that."There was never any kind of racism. Throughout the time I was at the DFB, there has never been an approach of racist comments in our team. Mesut and Ilkay have always identified with the values of the national team."
Ozil has been widely criticised in his homeland since the competition, with Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness claiming that he used the racism allegations as "a distraction".
Meanwhile, he has also been the subject of rift rumours at club level, though Arsenal boss Unai Emery has denied those.
Small250
94
This is a good lesson to all those that leave homelands and choose other lands so as to capitalise on established system. Mesut should have stayed home and struggled to rise with his people. Now he is complaining about the treatment from people that gave him that which he might not got with his homeland. He would have still been an outstanding player without German and this whole situation will not exist. Let this be a lesson to all those shameful of their motherland stand in world ranking. Switching countries will catch up with you at that point please remember you the one that left your own to try and fit in in foreign lands. Playing soccer within big teams is no longer enough so it seems. Many good players have abandoned their homelands. I think that is indication of inferiority complex. Remember Italy situation on a certain black man.
Dkanko
69
huge respect for Low. however as a born German with German heritage, am sorry sir but it's very difficult for you to understand what it is like to feel alone as a child of an immigrant. the issue isn't really racism but the fact the man has been abandoned by you and the federation. what other feeling could he really bear when so many native Germans kept talking about his Turkish heritage instead of his football qualities on the pitch... he might be "sick" all the time at Arsenal but for Germany, the lad gave everything each time he played...no matter what justification you have about this situation, you were simply a coward who chose to stay silent and saved your job...we love you but you better learn from guys like Wenger or Guardiola who would always defend their players with passion no matter the situation.
yisbist
67
I am an arsenal fan and i am not even european i can agree with the germans on this one , ozil used this as a distraction to run from criticism of him taking a picture with Erdogan who insulted germany, what was he thinking is he that ignorant and stupid doing it specially before the turkish election he was used by Erdogan as marketing ad