Former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from professional football at age 34.
Ozil, who was part of Germany’s World Cup- winning team in 2014, has spent the once three seasons in the Turkish Super Lig and retires after making four league appearances for Basaksehir, who he joined as a free agent last time.
He retired from transnational duty in 2018 amid a political debate in Germany about an affluence of settlers and after counterreaction over a snap taken with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, saying he faced” racism and discourteousness” over his Turkish strain.
The midfielder made 645 career appearances for club and country, including 254 for Arsenal across a seven- time stint. He featured in the club’s FA Cup tests in 2014, 2015 and 2017, helping his side to palm in all three Wembley matches.
“After thoughtful consideration, I am publicizing my immediate withdrawal from professional football,” Ozil wrote in an advertisement posted to Twitter.
“I have had the honor to be a professional football player for nearly 17 times now and I feel incredibly thankful for the occasion. But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s come more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football.
“It has been an amazing trip filled with indelible moments and feelings. I want to thank my clubs Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Fenerbahçe, Basaksehir and the trainers who supported me, plus teammates who have come musketeers.
“Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest musketeers. They’ve been a part of my trip from day one and have given me so important love and support, through the good times and the bad.”
Writing on Instagram, Ozil said that it was getting” further and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football”, with injuries playing a part in his decision.
Ozil’s final game came on February 2, when he was substituted at half- time during Istanbul Basaksehir’s 1- 0 defeat at Kayserispor in the Turkish Super Lig. It was one of just two thresholds he made for the club after subscribing from Fenerbahce last summer.
Ozil’s statement read” After thoughtful consideration, I ’m publicizing my immediate withdrawal from professional football.
“I ’ve had the honor to be a professional football player for nearly 17 times now and I feel incredibly thankful for the occasion.
“But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s come more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football.
“It has been an amazing trip filled with indelible moments and feelings. I want to thank my clubs Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahce and Basaksehir- and the trainers who supported me, plus platoon- mates who have come musketeers.
“Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest musketeers. They’ve been a part of my trip from day one and have given me so important love and support, through the good times and the bad.
“Thank you to all my suckers who have shown me so important love no matter the circumstances and no matter which club I was representing.
“Now I ’m looking forward to everything that’s in front of me with my beautiful woman, Amine, and my two beautiful daughters, Eda and Ela but you can be sure that you’ll hear from me from time to time on my social media channels.”
As well as floundering for game time with Basaksehir, Ozil was also hampered by fitness problems during his 18- month spell at Fenerbahce before he joined their Turkish rivals at the launch of the season.
Ozil played 37 times for Fenerbahce, scoring nine pretensions, but his time at the club came to a sour end when he was suspended for the final months of the2021/22 season before having his contract terminated last summer.
It was a familiar story for Ozil, whose final months at Arsenal followed a analogous pattern. After missing the end of2019/20 season with injury, he was left out of the team by Mikel Arteta for the first half of the following crusade before having his contract cancelled.
It was an wrong conclusion to Ozil’s time with the Gunners, which gauged further than seven times and saw him make 254 appearances, while he collected four FA Cup winners ’ orders.
Ozil was brought to north London by Arsene Wenger in September 2013 after three times at Real Madrid, where he won LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. He preliminarily played for Werder Bremen and Schalke in his native Germany.
Ozil also enjoyed a successful transnational career, earning 92 caps for Germany and starting in the 1- 0 palm over Argentina as they lifted the 2014 World Cup.
It was September 2013 and in the wake of a 1- 0 palm over Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium, the Frenchman was asked by Sky Sports’ Patrick Davison about Arsenal’s plans for the final days of the transfer window.” perhaps we’ll have a good surprise for you,” he said.
Arsenal’s summer reclamation at that point amounted to two free transfers. One to step aside Mathieu Flamini from AC Milan, the other to bring in Yaya Sanogo, a promising but injury-prone striker from Auxerre. sympathizers were underwhelmed and agitated.
They wanted more and 48 hours latterly they got it, Wenger’s” good surprise” materialising in the form of a sensational£42.5 m deal for Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil. It ranked as the third most precious signing in British football history and nearly trebled Arsenal’s record disbursement in the transfer request. Know More Latest News…
