"I am an immigrant when we lose"

By Isaac Stanley-Becker, (c) 2018, The Washington Post

Mesut Ozil, a German football player who has been criticized for posing for a Photo with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that he was leaving the national team because of the racism he faced as a player of Turkish origin.

In a long statement posted on Twitter, the 29-year-old Arsenal star portrayed himself as a victim. of "racism and disrespect" provoked by the German media, fans, politicians and the national football federation, known as the DFB. The Arsenal star said he was moving away from international football as a result of the mistreatment, writing: "Racism should never be accepted."

"I'm German when we win, but I'm an immigrant when we lose," Ozil wrote, describing a double standard that brought him to hang up his national jersey: "I wore the German shirt with so much of pride and excitement, but now I do not do it. "

Ozil's repudiation of the German team marked the last chapter of a burning European debate on migration and national identity. A debate so often conducted in the language of security and terrorism seemed to take a different tone on the sidelines of the World Cup.

The varied lists of many European teams have prompted a fresh examination of the question: what does it mean to be German or French? The majority of players in the France team, who won the 2018 World Cup title, have roots outside of France. For some, the image of the multicolored team has offered a riposte to far right politicians who are only offsetting the costs of immigration. The symbolism of successful multiethnic teams was particularly powerful in a moment of anxiety about borders, extremism and national culture, several years after the Syrian civil war that caused the greatest human displacement since the Second World War. Africa won the World Cup! ", Chanted Trevor Noah, host of the" Daily Show ", celebrating the victory of France and the varied composition of his team. Noah, who hails from South Africa, was a victim of France's ambbadador to the United States, Gerard Araud, who accused the night's host of denigrating identity French players and thus do the game of the far right. Noah said that he had the opposite intention.

"Blacks around the world celebrate the Africanity of French players," said Noah. "Not in a negative way, but rather in a positive way, saying," Look at those Africans who can become French. "

What Ozil reveals is that the process of becoming European may be more upset than a football lineup

A practicing Muslim born to Turkish parents he values ​​both parts of his identity.

"I have two hearts, a German and a Turkish", writes Ozil, who has been recognized as an example of "During my childhood, my mother m 39; learned to always be respectful and to never forget where I come from, and these are values ​​I'm thinking about to this day. "

The desire to cherish his Turkish roots, Ozil suggested, was which led him to meet in May with Erdogan in London, with Ilkay Gundogan, a midfielder for Manchester City as well as for the German national team. "For me, having a photo with President Erdogan It was not a question of politics or elections, it was about me who respected the highest office of the country of my family, "wrote Ozil

. to the largest number of Turkish people outside Turkey and still has tense relations with the nation. The Berlin legislators prevented Erdogan from organizing political rallies on German soil, and they saw these photos with football stars as a public relations win for the strong president. A spokeswoman for Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, said the picture "invited misunderstanding."

"The DFB of course respects the special situation of our players from immigration, but football and the DFB" Reinhard Grindel, president of the DFB and former member of the German Parliament, said in a statement. Some politicians have accused football stars of lacking loyalty to Germany and have stated that they should not be allowed to participate in the World Cup.

At the time, Ozil made no comment. But his Sunday statement was aimed at Grindel, whom he accused of incompetence and racial animosity. "The treatment I received from the DFB and many others no longer allows me to wear the jersey of the German national team," Ozil wrote, adding that "people discriminated against the racial plan should not work in the world's largest federation that has a lot of actors of dual-heritage families. "

Grindel did not respond over the weekend. Cem Ozdemir, a leading lawmaker of the Greens, said Ozil was wrong to pose with Erdogan, but echoed criticism from the player on the football badociation, accusing Grindel of "hacking our history of integration in pieces."

to start playing for Erdogan soon? "Ozdemir, who is of Turkish origin, wrote on Twitter." The DFB needs a fresh start. "

Ozil was just as tough in the media, saying that German newspapers hinted that the Erdogan scandal was part of the team's stumble in Russia.Bild, Germany's top-selling tabloid, fought back on Sunday, accusing the athlete of "whining" "

Members of the Turkish government congratulated Ozil on his decision Abdulhamit Gul, the Minister of Justice, congratulated the midfielder for marking" the best goal against the Fascist virus " "

In his statement, Ozil protested the disproportionate attention paid to his Turkish identity.Friends with Polish roots, he pointed out, were not set apart as Alternatively Polish – his contributions – to fulfill his basic responsibilities, They only pay taxes, to "win the World Cup with Germany in 2014" – were not enough to vaccinate him, he said: "I was born and I was educated in Germany. so why do not people agree that I am German? "

These past two weeks have given me time to reflect and reflect on the events of the past few months, so I want to share my thoughts and feelings about what happened." ] pic.twitter.com/WpWrlHxx74

– Mesut Özil (@ MesutOzil1088) July 22, 2018

II / III pic.twitter.com/Jwqv76jkmd [19659003] – Mesut Özil ( @ MesutOzil1088) July 22, 2018

III / III pic.twitter.com/c8aTzYOhWU

– Mesut Özil (@ MesutOzil1088) July 22, 2018