The father of Mesut Ozil said Sunday his son should quit
Germany’s national squad after he was “made the scapegoat” for Die
Mannschaft’s shock first-round defeat at the World Cup.
Ozil, 29, has come in for hefty criticism in Germany after the World
Champions crashed out in Russia, finishing bottom of their group.
Pressure had already been mounting on the Arsenal midfielder in the
World Cup run-up over a controversial photograph with Turkey President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was seized on to question his loyalty to
Germany.
On Thursday, Germany’s team boss Oliver Bierhoff sparked a new round
of outcry over a statement suggesting Ozil, who has Turkish roots,
should have been dropped after his failure to publicly clear up the
Erdogan meeting.
“This statement is insolent. In my opinion, it is aimed at saving
one’s own skin,” said the mid-fielder’s father Mustafa Ozil in an
interview with Bild am Sonntag.
Bierhoff later backtracked, apologising that he “was wrong”.
Ozil senior said he believed his son had agreed to have a photograph
taken with Erdogan only out of “politeness” and that it was never meant
to be a political statement.
He also defended Ozil for not having spoken out to clarify his position.
“He no longer wants to explain himself, he no longer wants to have to
defend himself all the time. He has been playing for nine years in the
German team… including becoming world champions with the A-team.
“He has contributed a lot for this country. It has always been: if we win, we win together.
“But when we lose, we lose because of Ozil? He is now getting
whistled at and made a scapegoat. I can understand if he feels
insulted,” said the midfielder’s father.
Calling the treatment accorded to his son “so unfair”, Ozil senior
said “he needs to decide for himself. But if I were in his place, I’d
say – thanks a lot but that’s it!”
“The hurt has grown too strong. And who knows what’ll happen at the
next match. In Mesut’s place, I would step down. But that’s just my very
personal opinion,” he said.
Source: Punch News
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