The Arsenal attacker has hit out at the treatment he received from the German football association (DFB), confirming he will no longer wear the jersey
Mesut Ozil has confirmed that he is retiring from international football with immediate effect following the "treatment he received from the DFB."
The Arsenal attacker claims that the way he has been treated by the German football association makes him "no longer want to wear the German national team shirt" and he has had enough of being "disrespected" and used for "political propaganda".
Ozil announced the decision in the third part of a lengthy statement released on his Twitter account, with the first part explaining the reasoning behind his controversial photograph with Turkey president Recep Erdogan and the second update criticising how the media and sponsors reacted to the incident.
The way Ozil has been treated by German media, politicians and especially the DFB has caused him to make the "difficult decision" to announce his international retirement, saying that: "I now feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international debut in 2009 has been forgotten."
In those nine years, Ozil has played 92 times for his country, scoring 23 times. He was part of the side that lifted the 2014 World Cup and also helped Germany to the semi-finals of the 2012 and 2016 European Championships.
Ozil also went with Germany to the 2010 and 2018 World Cups and was named national team player of the year five times.
Ozil's final statement in full:
