Mesut Ozil's agent has slammed Mikel Arteta for lacking loyalty and respect and claims the Arsenal boss has lied about why the midfielder was left out of the club's Premier League squad.
Ozil, who has not played since March, was also omitted from the club's Europa League squad meaning he will not be able to make an appearance until at least January.
Arteta claimed the decision was solely for football reasons but, in an interview with ESPN, Ozil's agent Erkut Sogut says the manager has treated the midfielder unfairly and has not been honest about his decision to freeze him out.
He said: 'Arsenal fans deserve an honest explanation, not [Arteta] saying 'I failed Ozil.' You didn't fail Ozil: you failed to be fair, honest and transparent and treat someone with respect who has a contract and was loyal all the time.
'Every single person outside knows he hasn't treated him fairly. He didn't give him a chance to show himself this season. If he is still under contract, the player should have the option to stay and fight for his place. Mesut hasn't been given that. Why would you put a player on the bench twice for 90 minutes [against Brighton and Crystal Palace in June] if he wasn't fit or committed?
'Everyone says he's training well. Per Mertesacker said this publicly. I spoke with at least five teammates who say he is training great. They say Mesut is one of their best players, and they cannot understand why he is left out. So it can't be the training -- if it is not the pitch, what are the footballing reasons? If you talk, you should tell the truth that the Arsenal fans deserve otherwise don't talk at all.'
Arteta insisted the midfielder had been given opportunities after his decision to leave him out of the squads. He said: 'When I believe that he could contribute to the team being better - which is why I was hired to this football club to become the manager to win football matches, competition and create and build a project for the short, medium and long term - he has had the opportunities like everybody else.'
But Sogut contrasted Arteta's treatment of Ozil with the way he was looked after by Arsene Wenger during his time at the Emirates, highlighting how the Spaniard didn't start a single Premier League game in his final season.
'He [Arteta] started zero games in the Premier League in his last season,' said Sogut.
'He wasn't there in the last six months at all, busy doing his coaching badges and meeting coaches for his future. Mesut plays for one English team and that's it because he feels he can only play for that team. He is a Gunner in the end.
'Mesut is not a player who is yesterday a Toffee and today a Gunner. Arteta didn't play at all in the final two years, but they still registered him because he was given a contract. Arsene Wenger put him on the field for the final two minutes of his last game just to give him a nice moment, even though he wasn't fit for months. Look at how [Arteta] was treated in his final two years, and how Mesut is getting treated in his final year.'
Ozil released a statement after his omission from the Premier League squad which heavily criticised the club for their lack of loyalty, but stopped short of pointing the finger at his manager.
As Sportsmail exclusively revealed on Wednesday, the former German international believes Arsenal's commercial interests in China influenced the decision to omit him from both squads.
Last December, the midfielder condemned China's alleged mistreatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province in a post on Instagram. Despite being quickly disowned by Arsenal, the post still had damaging commercial consequences for the club.
Ozil's comments were condemned by the Chinese foreign ministry and the Chinese FA and he was deleted from a computer game in China for his actions while Arsenal's following game with Manchester City was dropped by state TV.
The club have a significant commercial presence in China and own a restaurant chain and have an official lottery partner and vehicle provider.
Ozil also came under fire for refusing to take a 12.5% pay cut in April, despite being the club's highest earner on £350,000. The midfielder is said to have refused because of a lack of clarity on how the money would be spent.
But Sogut defended Ozil, saying: 'You have to understand the bigger picture. The [Uighur situation] created problems for the whole Premier League, not just Arsenal. He expected to get more support from the club. It is not talking about politics, it is about human rights, putting people in detention centres. Imagine a football player comes out and says 'this is inhumane.' Is that politics or empathy?'
Arsenal were criticised by fans and former players for making 55 staff members including scouts and their mascot Gunnersaurus redundant due to the financial pressures of coronavirus. Ozil offered to cover the wages of Jerry Quy, the man in the Gunnersaurus mascot, for as long as he remains at the club.
Sogut laid into the club for lacking class and sighted the club's expenditure on transfers just after they had made the decision to lay off staff.
'You wouldn't expect a club with class to make 55 people redundant just after winning the FA Cup or sacking a mascot after 27 years of service, just before making a £45million signing,' he said.
'And it doesn't help if people from outside the club speak on their behalf. It unfortunately gives a very bad picture of the club which we are not used to having at a team like Arsenal.'
Former Arsenal players have also come out in support of Ozil. Jack Wilshere defended his former team-mate on Twitter this week, insisting he remains the 'best player' at the club while Cesc Fabregas named him as one of the five best players in the club's recent past.
Ozil praised his former manager Arsene Wenger for 'always being respectful, fair and honest' 24 hours after he had criticised the club for their lack of loyalty.
Wishing the 71-year-old a Happy Birthday on Twitter, Ozil wrote: 'Happy Birthday, Boss! Thanks for all your trust and support you've given me from my 1st until your last day @ArsenalFC.
'Without a doubt one of the greatest managers in the Premier League history - always respectful, fair & honest. Wishing you all the best! #M1Ö'
shaheerkh_09
681
Most loved person for a reason...❤
TrevorR
627
Let’s put club support aside and talk about the reality. From what I see here it’s 💯% true that Arsenal is maltreating Ozil this way because of business not purely footballing reasons. If you don’t want to use the player or if he’s not good enough for your team, it’s better you pay him off. You can’t ask him to willingly agree to rip-off his contract without benefits. He’s being treated this way just to make him leave in January. Career aside, I will sit without playing the entire season and still get paid after all I’m going to get paid for doing nothing and let’s see who it’s going to hurt financially. Asking the man to reduce his salary without giving clarity as to why he should. He should take pay cut but you’re still going on with increasing Aubamiyang’s salary and adding Willian’s to the wage bills and the worst of them all is by making 50 people jobless because of low income but signing Thomas for 45 million. Let’s say you ask him to find a club because you woke up one morning and thought he wasn’t good enough anymore even though you played the same person previously. I don’t understand Arsenal’s ideas but I clearly understand Ozil’s stand he took. He’s only being psychologically treated this way to push him out of the club.
FaithEvans
548
We just have to let these people go one way or the other, we can't have a whole season where there are people making noise in the background... The club asked you to find a new club, you refused, the club asked to rip off the contract, you refused twice, the club told you you won't be playing if u stay, you still refuse to leave... if you're convinced you're being treated badly, why stay? It's easy to talk about loyalty when you get paid £8m in loyalty bonus! I can't wait for June already, good riddance to these people!
tidcklmsuz
369
Arsenal don’t need to test a player or given too much chance for players to improve that was wenger era. We need tested ok player to compete and belong to where we suppose to be. One of the best team in Europe hasn’t to in UCL Semi almost 15 yrs now too bad and stayed out for top 4 even 8th or 9th in the league last season. If not for FA cup we won’t be in any European competition. This is ARSENAL not Totham . Only God know what happened btw you and the team that i know is beyond Arteta decision. Best of luck ozil ❤️💙✊. Remember football team is like a barracks soldier go soldier come. You deserve to be happy go and explore some where else and creat memories as you already in prime age in football MO10 💙✊
RaiyanHasib
330
They say he is just collecting his salary by doing nothing, then why don't you play him ? why don't you give him game time ? 😕😕😒😒
AFArsenalFan
315
He refused to take a pay cut and he is challenging the board by offering to pay for Gunnersaurus wages... I mean even though it’s a good act who does he think he is to decide whether Gunnersaurus should leave or not.... He even included politics in sports which is so unacceptable... And for all the good things he appears to do he does them so the fans support him... He doesn’t have to post them on his social media.. Another frustrating thing he did was that he invited Erdogen to his wedding before the World Cup and that was huge disrespect to Germany....... Arsenal politely asked him to terminate his contract and find a club but he’s so selfish he just wants his money even if that will affect other employees being fired.... I tell u what... the main reason Gunnersaurus was fired was that Ozil takes a lot of the wage bills and they could afford Gunnersaurus....
Siyalmntuz
291
Erkut Sogut said it all, Arteta and his Cohorts has been playing politics games since he came to Arsenal , but let us remind hin that when bad times comes , those he is associating with will definitely kick him out, ,
FaithEvans
14
Most loved person for a reason...❤
[image]
His contract with Adidas expired and his good friend and best man at his wedding, Erdogan is bombing Syria and waging war in Armenia as we speak, he has nothing to say about that... fvckin hypocrite!
boxer
9
We just have to let these people go one way or the other, we can't have a whole season where there are people making noise in the background... The club asked you to find a new club, you refused, the club asked to rip off the contract, you refused twice, the club told you you won't be playing if u stay, you still refuse to leave... if you're convinced you're being treated badly, why stay? It's easy to talk about loyalty when you get paid £8m in loyalty bonus! I can't wait for June already, good riddance to these people!
Both Arsenal fans and board is a joke. they cant even give him some play time. You cant kick a player this LOYAL from the club just like that. I thought it was just the board but the fact that even their fans don’t support him is just a disgrace.
tatabclmos
8
Most loved person for a reason...❤
[image]
This is just pr he never do that.He is just a show off kind of person.Mane cleaned toilets in mosque he never posted a pic.This is a good person quality not like poor mesut