Mesut Ozil, loyal footballer or instrumented ambassador?

In Germany, the controversy grows the day after the announcement by the footballer Mesut Ozil from his departure from the national team. "It is with a heavy heart and a lot of thought that, because of recent events, I will not be playing international matches for Germany, as long as I feel racism and disrespect to my country. " had reported on Twitter, Sunday, July 22, the German midfielder of Turkish origin, aged 29.

Understand why
        
    
          the footballer Mesut Ozil leaves the selection, invoking the "racism"
          

This announcement triggered an avalanche of reactions, whose stakes far exceed the footballing framework. "The departure of Mesut Ozil is a sporting, political and societal break," observed on Monday, the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel which, like all the German media, devoted its headlines to the decision of the player. "Mesut Ozil was not just any player on this national team. It was a symbol of cohabitation and living together for the citizens of Turkish origin who, since x generations, live in Germany. This brutal break between Ozil and the national team is the real defeat of this summer – much more than that of the eleven German players in the first round of the World Cup " badyzed, for its part, the Süddeutsche Zeitung .

"Respect for the roots of my ancestors"

To understand the emotion aroused by this case, we must go back to May 13th. That day, a series of photos show two German players of Turkish origin, Mesut Ozil and Ilkay Gündogan, posing alongside Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan and offer him jerseys of their respective teams, Arsenal for the first, Manchester City for the second.

The facts:
        
    
          Two German footballers make scandal by making Erdogan "their" president
          

Taken in a hotel in London, these photos were quickly broadcast on social media by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Islamic-conservative movement of the Turkish president. At six weeks of the Turkish presidential and legislative elections, Mr Erdogan – who was re-elected on June 24 in the first round – could not dream of better publicity. In Germany, these photos had been condemned by all the political parties, who had judged at best clumsy and at worst outrageous homage paid by players of the national team to a foreign leader at the head of an authoritarian regime

The story of the outcome of the Turkish presidential election:
        
    
          Erdogan dons his new habit of "hyper-president"
          

On Sunday, Mesut Ozil went back on the criticisms sparked by these photos, believing that they were completely unjustified. "Like many people, my origins come from different countries explained Arsenal player, born in 1988 in Gelsenkirchen, a town in the Ruhr industrial basin, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. , the state with the largest Turkish community in Germany. I have two hearts: a German and a Turkish. During my childhood, my mother told me never to forget where I came from. I met President Erdogan in London at a charity gala. For me, taking a picture with [lui] was by no means political, it was just a question of respecting the highest dignitary of my country […] not to disrespect the roots of my ancestors, who would have been proud of what I have become today.

"He played like shit"

In the three-page letter accompanying the announcement of his departure, Mesut Ozil also attacked Reinhard Grindel, president of the German federation football (DFB) and former Conservative MP (CDU) from 2002 to 2016. "In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose" a- he lamented, referring to the lack of support given to him by the DFB after the elimination of Germany from the World Cup, during which the player had been targeted by many attacks of a racist nature, he was already part of the national team winning the World Cup in 2014.

Since Sunday, the reactions are very diverse in Germany. On the one hand, some have chosen to overwhelm Mesut Ozil. This is the case of the conservative tabloid Bild who called his explanations of "jeremiads" . For the most widely read newspaper in Germany, the player is doubly indefensible, first of all because of his support for Erdogan, a "despot" who seeks to impose a "Islamist dictatorship" in Turkey, then because of his "shabby" play at the last World Cup.

Against Mesut Ozil, however, the most virulent charge came from Uli Hoeness, the President of Bayern Munich. "For me, Ozil had an alibi for years, he did not help the German team at all […]. When did he last pbad an opponent? Nobody questioned him athletically. Now he can hide behind Erdogan's story. He played like shit for years, and now it's the fault of Reinhard Grindel or Oliver Bierhoff [le manager général de l’équipe d’Allemagne].

"A decision that must be respected"

On the other hand, several newspapers and politicians, while distancing themselves from the surprise decision of Mesut Ozil, said that it was necessary to take seriously his explanations. "This is a warning signal when a great German football player like Mesut Ozil no longer feels represented in his country because of racism" has estimated the Social Democrat Minister of justice, Katarina Barley. "It's tragic if young German-Turkish citizens now have the impression that they do not belong in the national team. Success exists only in diversity, not in uniqueness. This is how we became world champions in 2014. And that France has become this year " reacted on his side Cem Ozdemir, president of the group ecologist in the Bundestag, itself of Turkish origin

As for Angela Merkel, she also reacted, but taking care not to give his remarks a political dimension. "As you know, the Chancellor really likes Mesut Ozil. He did a lot for the national team and made a decision that must be respected. " said one of the federal government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer on Monday at noon.

" The most beautiful goal against the virus of fascism "

The German Chancellor's cautious reaction is hardly surprising, since the latter has always been anxious not to stir up tensions within the Turkish community in Germany, which has about 3 million people and in which Mr. Erdogan has many supporters. In the presidential election of June 24, about 65% of Turkish voters settled in Germany voted for the AKP candidate, twelve points higher than his total score.

Two other reasons also explain the measured tone of M ^me Merkel. The first is purely political, and is based on his concern not to venture into debates that divide his own camp, the conservative right (CDU-CSU), whether on dual nationality or on the place of Islam in the German society. The second reason is diplomatic, linked to the instrumentalization of this case on the part of the Turkish authorities.

Since Sunday, several members of the government of Mr. Erdogan, who does not miss an opportunity to denounce the situation Turks settled in Germany, have indeed welcomed the withdrawal of Mesut Ozil "We fully support the honorable decision of our brother Mesut Ozil" has responded to the Turkish Minister of Sports, Mehmet Kasapoglu. "I congratulate Mesut Ozil who, leaving the German national team, scored the best goal against the virus of fascism" commented on his colleague in charge of justice, Abdülhamit Gül.