Mesut Özil is one of the sought after footballers in the globe, with several glories to his name. But in recent time, the German talisman has come under heavy critism at the Emirates Stadium.
On and off the pitch, his highs and lows generate endless debate, praise and criticism. In recent months, he has been a peripheral figure for his club, attacked by thugs near his home and increasingly divorced from Germany, the team he helped to win the World Cup in 2014.
Until this moment, he has been keeping a tight lip, waving questions related to any of those issues. But in an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Mesut Ozil breaks his silence.
In a conversation, the 31-year-old discusses:
His intention to stay at Arsenal until “at least” the summer of 2021
Why he believes condemnation of his performances is “ridiculous”
The Arsenal man opted out of the Germany national team as a result of racist abuse and a deadly assault on his wife in their own home.