Özil leaves the selection of Germany while evoking the "racism"

Mesut Özil announced on Sunday that he was leaving the German squad by highlighting "racism" in his critics after the elimination of the Mannschaft in the first round of the World Cup-2018

"It is with a heavy heart and after a lot of reflection that, because of recent events, I will not play international matches for Germany as long as I feel racism and lack of respect. to me, "wrote the Turkish-born player on his Twitter account.

Criticized for a photo taken with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan before the Russian World Cup, he assured that his gesture had "no political intention."

"Like many people, my ancestral roots overlap more than I have grown up in Germany, but my family history has its roots firmly in Turkey, I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish, "said Arsenal midfielder Sunday afternoon. on Twitter

Özil comes out of his silence after being at the center of the controversy, after the publication of this famous cliché on which he and his compatriot Ilkay Gündogan pose alongside the Turkish head of state, then in the countryside election for re-election, finally won on June 24.

"Scapegoat"

Relations between Germany and Turkey have been turbulent since the failed coup d'état against Erdogan in July 2016. Germany has been particularly worried since " purges "practiced in the army and the administration following this putsch.

Since the beginning of 2018, Berlin and Ankara have been working to normalize their relations after these strong tensions.

Largest Turkish diaspora in the world, the community Germany has 3 million people, including 1.4 million voters who can vote in Turkey.

"It was not politics or elections, but to respect the highest office of my country. family, "said the Arsenal player.

The cliché taken with Erdogan had earned both players heavy criticism, especially after the early elimination of world champions 2014 in the group stage in Russia. Some observers have accused them of lacking loyalty to Germany, Mannschaft manager Oliver Bierhoff even going so far as to say that "it would have been necessary to consider avoiding Özil" for the World Cup.

For Özil it was mainly the absence of support from the Federation (DFB) that pushed him to leave: "In the past two months, what has hurt me the most is the bad treatment that inflicted the DFB and its president Richard Grindel "

" While I tried to explain to Grindel my heritage, my ancestors and, therefore, make him understand the reasons that had led me to take this picture he was more interested in talking about his own political positions and lowering my opinion, "wrote Özil, who scored 23 goals in 92 selections.

" I will no longer be a scapegoat (in Grindel ) for his incompetence and his inability to do his job properly ", added the player of 29 years.

"Propaganda of the Right"

"In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," he said.

If the German world champion, crowned in 2014 in Brazil after a 3rd place in 2010, agrees to receive criticism of his athletic performance, he refuses to be attacked about his ethnic origins.

"If a newspaper or a consultant considers me to be at fault during a match, that I can accept, but what I do not accept is that German media has continuously criticized my double heritage and a simple photo to explain the bad Cup the world of an entire team, "he lamented, denouncing a" right-wing propaganda ".

For the player, limits that touch him personally have been crossed, "the newspapers trying to mount the German nation against me".

According to Mesut Özil, he and his family received threats after the publication of the photo with the Turkish predator.

Özil also mocked a sponsor, without naming him, who, he says, withdrew promotional videos for the World Cup after the appearance of the photos with Erdogan. "For them, it was not good to be seen with me and (they) called the situation 'crisis management' http://www.lepoint.fr/".

23/07/2018 05 : 36: 34 –
Berlin (AFP) –
© 2018 AFP