Mesut Ozil cites 'racism and disrespect' as he quits Germany

[Abdullah719]

Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from international football, hitting out at the "racist" and "disrespectful" treatment he received in the wake of his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Germany's early World Cup exit.

The Arsenal star, who has Turkish ancestry, made the announcement on Sunday in a lengthy statement he posted on his Twitter account.

The 29-year-old attacking midfielder, who was part of the German squad that exited the World Cup in Russia at the group stage, felt he was singled out as a scapegoat for the failure due to his Turkish heritage and the Erdogan meeting in May.

"It is with a heavy heart and after much consideration that because of recent events, I will no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst I have this feeling of racism and disrespect," Ozil said.

"The treatment I have received from the DFB [German Football Association] and many others makes me no longer want to wear the German national team shirt," he added.

"People with racially discriminative backgrounds should not be allowed to work in the largest football federation in the world that has players from dual-heritage families. Attitudes like theirs simply do not reflect the players they supposedly represent."

Ozil said he could not accept "German media outlets repeatedly blaming my dual-heritage and a simple picture for a bad World Cup on behalf of an entire squad".

He added: "I am German when we win, but an immigrant when we lose."

Ozil earned 92 caps for Germany since his debut in 2009. He was a key member of the country's 2014 World Cup-winning side.

"This decision has been extremely difficult to make because I've always given everything for my teammates ... but when high-ranking DFB officials treat me as they did, disrespect my Turkish roots and selfishly turn me into political propaganda, then enough is enough," he wrote.

"That is not why I play football, and I will not sit back and do nothing about it. Racism should never, ever, be accepted."

Ozil drew criticism at home after his meeting in Erdogan. He and Ilkay Gundogan - a team mate also of Turkish descent who likewise posed with Erdogan - were jeered in warm-up games before the World Cup in Russia.

In his statement on Sunday, Ozil said if he had not met the Turkish president, he would have been "disrespecting the roots of my ancestors".

"For me having a picture with President Erdogan wasn't about politics or elections, it was about me respecting the highest office of my family's country," he said.

The Arsenal midfielder also said that he was loyal to both his Turkish and German origins and insisted he did not intend to make a political statement.

"Like many people, my ancestry traces back to more than one country. Whilst I grew up in Germany, my family background has its roots firmly based in Turkey," he said. "I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish."

Relations between Germany and Turkey have soured amid a crackdown by Erdogan's government on suspected supporters of a failed military coup in July 2016.

"My job is a football player and not a politician, and our meeting was not an endorsement of any policies," Ozil said.

"I get that this may be hard to understand, as in most cultures the political leader cannot be thought of as being separate from the person. But in this case it is different. Whatever the outcome would've been in this previous election, or the election before that, I would have still taken the picture."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018...disrespect-quits-germany-180722182842146.html

 

[PakLFC]

It is understandable that being a German albeit of Turkish ancestry his support for Erdogan will not go down well. He is just using racism as an excuse here when there is nothing racist about it. He is not the only player of foreign background playing for his supposedly adopted country. All other countries like France and England are full of them as well.

 

[GenericBrand]

Ozil just destroyed Grindel

I will no longer stand for being a scapegoat for his [Reinhard Grindel, President of the german FA] incompetence and inability to do his job properly.

 

[Pakistanian]

It is understandable that being a German albeit of Turkish ancestry his support for Erdogan will not go down well. He is just using racism as an excuse here when there is nothing racist about it. He is not the only player of foreign background playing for his supposedly adopted country. All other countries like France and England are full of them as well.

He does not support Erdogan, he just took a picture with him as he's the President of Turkey.

 

[srh]

He is right. Lot of germans were openly questioning his allegiance to Germany

 

[Napa]

I thought Ozil was rather slow and lacked energy during the WC games, but then again so did most of the German team!

 

[Amirforpresident]

It is understandable that being a German albeit of Turkish ancestry his support for Erdogan will not go down well. He is just using racism as an excuse here when there is nothing racist about it. He is not the only player of foreign background playing for his supposedly adopted country. All other countries like France and England are full of them as well.

That was not the reason Ozil was talking about racism. Hé was talking about his relationship with the coach and how he felt that he was being seen as a German when he was playing for the National team, but otherwise was seen as just an immigrant by the coach.

 

[Pakistanian]

I thought Ozil was rather slow and lacked energy during the WC games, but then again so did most of the German team!

He was the only one that showed up against korea

 

[TM Riddle]

He had it coming.

 

[InziRules]

It is understandable that being a German albeit of Turkish ancestry his support for Erdogan will not go down well. He is just using racism as an excuse here when there is nothing racist about it. He is not the only player of foreign background playing for his supposedly adopted country. All other countries like France and England are full of them as well.

He took a picture with Erdogan at a Charity event.

Last time I checked, Putin is seen as Germany's big enemy and they had a DFP representative take pictures with him and shake his hands.

 

[Dulex9]

Still had a few years left in him. I understand his decision.

However, he had a good international career and achieved the biggest prize of them all.

 

[the Great Khan]

He took a picture with Erdogan at a Charity event.

Last time I checked, Putin is seen as Germany's big enemy and they had a DFP representative take pictures with him and shake his hands.

Its becasue the Germans had a big hand in the coup against Erdogan and we all know what happens in the West when their govts get caught with their pants down. The west wanted Erdogan gone and using their supposed Syria tactic, they thought they could get rid of him. But they didnt account for Putin and his chess board. They actually thought they could kill Erdogan so I dont blame him for being royall peeved.

Germany is at its heart still a racist society. And the west is continuing to demonise Erdogan because he is a turkish nationalist that has successfully melded Islam with his nationalism. That is a threat to them geopolitically.

 

[Mamoon]

He wasn’t going to get picked for Germany in the future anyway, so I suppose it is a good way to bow out on his own terms.

Ozil was finished in 2013.

 

[InziRules]

He wasn’t going to get picked for Germany in the future anyway, so I suppose it is a good way to bow out on his own terms.

Ozil was finished in 2013.

Weird how he almost broke Henry's assist record after that and is our best player now.

 

[Asim_khan]

He wasn’t going to get picked for Germany in the future anyway, so I suppose it is a good way to bow out on his own terms.

Ozil was finished in 2013.

Finished in 2013, yet in his last international he created 7 goal scoring chances, including 2 gilt edged ones.

There's literally no other German player like him, unless Goetze comes back to what he once was, they're in serious trouble and will have to change the way they play.

 

[WC-Passion]

He wasn’t going to get picked for Germany in the future anyway, so I suppose it is a good way to bow out on his own terms.

Ozil was finished in 2013.

Ridiculous post. He made the most chances out of anyone per 90 mins in the WC, yet he's finished? I'm a Chelsea fan and can accept that he's still a very good player. He also got 19 league assists in 15/16, and was Arsenal's top contributor for goals and assists last season. Not sure why you have this opinion.

 

[A-1]

Great decision IMO, after that pic, he knew his time was up with the National team. Won the world cup though so he has nothing to prove on the international level.

 

[finalfantasy7]

Great decision IMO, after that pic, he knew his time was up with the National team. Won the world cup though so he has nothing to prove on the international level.

Tbh the Germans don't pick players past the age of 30yrs, even when lahm hit 30 he had to call it, as he mentioned thr board looks at fitness levels

 

[srh]

I thought Ozil was rather slow and lacked energy during the WC games, but then again so did most of the German team!

He should have been criticized for his game but instead he was criticized for his Turk ancestry and thats was the main beef

 

[Mamoon]

Weird how he almost broke Henry's assist record after that and is our best player now.

Finished in 2013, yet in his last international he created 7 goal scoring chances, including 2 gilt edged ones.

There's literally no other German player like him, unless Goetze comes back to what he once was, they're in serious trouble and will have to change the way they play.

Ridiculous post. He made the most chances out of anyone per 90 mins in the WC, yet he's finished? I'm a Chelsea fan and can accept that he's still a very good player. He also got 19 league assists in 15/16, and was Arsenal's top contributor for goals and assists last season. Not sure why you have this opinion.

I am not interested in stats. Ozil defenders come up with all the stats and numbers in the world, but you just don’t see the influence on the pitch.

I have followed Ozil since 2009 when he was arguably the most talented youngster in Bundesliga and had a great season for Bremen.

Everyone jumped on his bandwagon after the 2010 World Cup, before Madrid snapped him up from under Wenger’s nose. The Ozil of 2013 onwards is not the Ozil that played for Bremen, Germany (before 2014) and Madrid.

He is lazy, weak, doesn’t put a defensive shift, can only play in one position and needs acres of space to deliver a killer ball, which is why he has no influence in big matches and goes into hiding.

The comments of Bayern’s chief today were spot on. He has been nothing special for four years now, and probably hasn’t made a tackle since 2014.

Most Arsenal fans are in denial because they cannot accept the fact that he hasn’t turned out the player they thought he was, when Wenger bought him out of panic on 2013 summer transfer window deadline day.

Apart from the first half of the 2015-16 season, he has been underwhelming in the league and has never delivered in a big UCL match. Arsenal were rag-dolled by Bayern for years, and he was nowhere to be found.

There is a reason why he signed a new bumper contract at Arsenal - he is not good enough to play for any team that is at a higher level than Arsenal; he is not good enough to play for Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico, Juventus, PSG and Bayern etc.

As an attacking midfielder, he is nowhere near the best in his position, i.e. Hazard, De Bruyne, Coutinho, Dybala (he is more of a forward, but often plays AMF) etc.

I don’t agree with the way he has been targeted by the German FA and the media, a lot of the comments and the racist remarks have been completely out of order, but his international career was over anyway.

The cycle for the likes of him, Muller, Gomez etc. is now complete. Germany has to move on from these has been 2010 era players if they are to be in contention for Euro 2020 and World Cup 2022. There is a lot of bright young talent in Germany that needs exposure.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

He is quite often singled out by English fans as well for not doing enough defensively, but Wenger always stood by him because of his ability to create and score goals, and to be fair, the stats tended to back his worth.

The German questioning of his commitment does seem racist though, he is right that when they win he is German, and when they lose he is an immigrant. He has been treated disgracefully, he is right to hang up his shirt.

 

[WC-Passion]

I am not interested in stats. Ozil defenders come up with all the stats and numbers in the world, but you just don’t see the influence on the pitch.

I have followed Ozil since 2009 when he was arguably the most talented youngster in Bundesliga and had a great season for Bremen.

Everyone jumped on his bandwagon after the 2010 World Cup, before Madrid snapped him up from under Wenger’s nose. The Ozil of 2013 onwards is not the Ozil that played for Bremen, Germany (before 2014) and Madrid.

He is lazy, weak, doesn’t put a defensive shift, can only play in one position and needs acres of space to deliver a killer ball, which is why he has no influence in big matches and goes into hiding.

The comments of Bayern’s chief today were spot on. He has been nothing special for four years now, and probably hasn’t made a tackle since 2014.

Most Arsenal fans are in denial because they cannot accept the fact that he hasn’t turned out the player they thought he was, when Wenger bought him out of panic on 2013 summer transfer window deadline day.

Apart from the first half of the 2015-16 season, he has been underwhelming in the league and has never delivered in a big UCL match. Arsenal were rag-dolled by Bayern for years, and he was nowhere to be found.

There is a reason why he signed a new bumper contract at Arsenal - he is not good enough to play for any team that is at a higher level than Arsenal; he is not good enough to play for Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico, Juventus, PSG and Bayern etc.

As an attacking midfielder, he is nowhere near the best in his position, i.e. Hazard, De Bruyne, Coutinho, Dybala (he is more of a forward, but often plays AMF) etc.

I don’t agree with the way he has been targeted by the German FA and the media, a lot of the comments and the racist remarks have been completely out of order, but his international career was over anyway.

The cycle for the likes of him, Muller, Gomez etc. is now complete. Germany has to move on from these has been 2010 era players if they are to be in contention for Euro 2020 and World Cup 2022. There is a lot of bright young talent in Germany that needs exposure.

Pundits have been saying this for years now, but I never see where they talk about defensive contribution on his good performances, or even trivial factors like his strength (CAM's usually aren't the strongest players).

You can easily write off stats because you don't care about them, but it doesn't make them any less true. The guy is still a top player. He deserves to be treated as such. You don't have to be a football expert to know that stats such as 19 assists in 15/16, most chances per 90 in WC 2018, German player of the year in 2015 and 2016 and Arsenal player of the year 15/16 show that Ozil was never finished in 2013.

I agree he can go missing quite a lot, but it doesn't mean he's finished. Please tell me of German CAM that is better than Ozil. Also how is Arsenal being destroyed by Bayern Ozil's fault? Your defence is atrocious, put Hazard or any of the players you said were better than Ozil on those Arsenal teams that got beat 5-1, and they would still get smashed.

 

[InziRules]

I am not interested in stats. Ozil defenders come up with all the stats and numbers in the world, but you just don’t see the influence on the pitch.

I have followed Ozil since 2009 when he was arguably the most talented youngster in Bundesliga and had a great season for Bremen.

Everyone jumped on his bandwagon after the 2010 World Cup, before Madrid snapped him up from under Wenger’s nose. The Ozil of 2013 onwards is not the Ozil that played for Bremen, Germany (before 2014) and Madrid.

He is lazy, weak, doesn’t put a defensive shift, can only play in one position and needs acres of space to deliver a killer ball, which is why he has no influence in big matches and goes into hiding.

The comments of Bayern’s chief today were spot on. He has been nothing special for four years now, and probably hasn’t made a tackle since 2014.

Most Arsenal fans are in denial because they cannot accept the fact that he hasn’t turned out the player they thought he was, when Wenger bought him out of panic on 2013 summer transfer window deadline day.

Apart from the first half of the 2015-16 season, he has been underwhelming in the league and has never delivered in a big UCL match. Arsenal were rag-dolled by Bayern for years, and he was nowhere to be found.

There is a reason why he signed a new bumper contract at Arsenal - he is not good enough to play for any team that is at a higher level than Arsenal; he is not good enough to play for Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico, Juventus, PSG and Bayern etc.

As an attacking midfielder, he is nowhere near the best in his position, i.e. Hazard, De Bruyne, Coutinho, Dybala (he is more of a forward, but often plays AMF) etc.

I don’t agree with the way he has been targeted by the German FA and the media, a lot of the comments and the racist remarks have been completely out of order, but his international career was over anyway.

The cycle for the likes of him, Muller, Gomez etc. is now complete. Germany has to move on from these has been 2010 era players if they are to be in contention for Euro 2020 and World Cup 2022. There is a lot of bright young talent in Germany that needs exposure.

Okay, you don't believe in objective measurements, there's no point arguing with someone irrational

P.S: Faisal Iqbal is the greatest batsman ever and Kohli is the worst one ever, you can't disprove me

P.P.S: He made 7 tackles in his last game at the World Cup (No tackle since 2014)

 

[MenInG]

The Arsenal star's Germany retirement has prompted some angry exchanges, but the Bayern Munich goalkeeper is supportive of the player
Manuel Neuer claims Germany's players have accepted the decision of Mesut Ozil to retire from international duty.

Arsenal midfielder Ozil called time on his career with Die Mannschaft after Joachim Low's side saw their defence of the World Cup come to an abrupt end in the group stage in Russia.

Germany's preparations for the tournament were overshadowed by a controversial meeting between Ozil, team-mate Ilkay Gundogan and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in London.

The decision of two Germany players with Turkish heritage to pose for photographs with the authoritarian leader was heavily criticised in some quarters.

Ozil announced last month he will no longer be available to play for his country, launching a blistering attack on the German Football Federation (DFB) and its president Reinhard Grindel for their handling of the incident.

In response, many notable figures in German football, particularly Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, have condemned the 29-year-old's actions.

Bayern goalkeeper Neuer, though, acknowledged the right of the former Real Madrid star to walk away, and feels Germany's poor performance in Russia has inflated the issue.

"If both of them [Ozil and Gundogan] or all of the players performed great at the World Cup we wouldn't stand here and talk about this," he said.

Asked if he was personally disappointed by Ozil's retirement, Neuer replied: "It's the decision of [each individual] player.

"When another player is saying that he wants to [retire] it's his own decision. You have to search [for] the reasons on your own then and in that case, he has found them.

"We're accepting this decision of course.

"In the past other players had quit their career at the national team too after a tournament like the European Championship or the World Cup."

http://www.goal.com/en/news/germany-players-accept-ozils-retirement-neuer/1eqn62gbhjwb1u2r15cw3igmh

 

[James]

Oh well, this is the country that elected the Nazi Party less than a hundred years ago, no huge surprises to see that they’re still a bit wary of Johnny Foreigner.

 

[enkidu_]

Europe's "multicultural" hoax, which is just the societal application of neoliberalism (no border/structure - religion, race, State ... nowadays "gender" - for the free movement of capital and labor), is about to crash down with (neo)liberalism itself.

Last year English journalist Edward Luce released a good book on the subject, while American academic Patrick Deneen, few months ago, penned a more organic and wide criticism of liberalism from a philosophical pov.

It has to do with NW Europe unable to main its "middle class standards", which shielded it from WWII onward from all "extremisms". Of course NW Europe could have a middle class because in some other part of the world a Chinese (or whatever) child was being paid a dollar a day for their T-shirt, and now these countries themselves are getting a strong middle class, with better paid jobs.

At the end it only lasted some 20-30 years.

 

[Major]

Question for pakistani posters and indians here.

What if danish kaneiria was still a playing member of the team and he ends up getting his picture taken with Modi. How would u guys react.

Or vice versa if its mohammad shami posing with our pm our COAS in the same manner as ozil did with tayeb

 

[TheLastGreatMan]

Question for pakistani posters and indians here.

What if danish kaneiria was still a playing member of the team and he ends up getting his picture taken with Modi. How would u guys react.

Or vice versa if its mohammad shami posing with our pm our COAS in the same manner as ozil did with tayeb

Doesn't matter.

But Ozil situation is not same.Even if you have roots with multiple countries but after you chose one country its better to limit yourself to only that country,his words like he have deep roots to Turkey through his mother will not cut ice with many.

 

[enkidu_]

Question for pakistani posters and indians here.

What if danish kaneiria was still a playing member of the team and he ends up getting his picture taken with Modi. How would u guys react.

Or vice versa if its mohammad shami posing with our pm our COAS in the same manner as ozil did with tayeb

Turkey under Erdogan hasn't been at war with Germany.

The most he said was to recommend Turks to not "assimilate" into German society, which is fair from his pov.

This is a flawed analogy.

 

[TheLastGreatMan]

It's not big loss to German.They have to rebuild by throwing out guys like Muller/Ozil/Kedira etc anyway.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Toni Kroos has criticised former Germany teammate Mesut Özil for the way he announced his international retirement over claims of racism, which the Real Madrid midfielder called “nonsense”.

The 29-year-old Özil announced he would no longer be playing for the national in July after Germany crashed out of the World Cup group stage. He said he had faced “racism and disrespect” because of his Turkish roots.

“Basically Mesut is a deserved international and as a player he deserved a better departure,” Kroos told Bild newspaper in an interview published on Thursday. “But the way he resigned was not in order.”

Özil was a key member of Germany’s World Cup-winning side in 2014 and was voted by fans as the team’s player of the year five times since 2011. But the Arsenal midfielder faced a barrage of criticism at home for having his photograph taken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in May and for his performances at the World Cup in Russia.

In his resignation statement last month, Özil also accused the German Football Association of failing to back him in the row over the photo. German fans jeered him and Ilkay Gündoğan, a team mate also of Turkish descent who posed with Erdoğan as well, during World Cup warm-up games in May.

“The parts in his statement that are rightly addressed are unfortunately overshadowed by the significantly higher amount of nonsense,” Kroos said. “I think he knows very well that racism within the national team and the DFB does not exist.”

Germany’s surprise elimination from the World Cup was their earliest exit from the tournament in 80 years, and Özil was one of the scapegoats for their unsuccessful title defence.

“In the eyes of [German FA president Reinhard] Grindel and his supporters I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” Özil wrote in his statement.

The 28-year-old Kroos, who has won the last three Champions League titles with Real Madrid, said he had no plans to follow Özil into international retirement after their World Cup flop.

“I will continue towards Euro 2020 and have set myself the goal of being far more successful there than in the recent past,” Kroos said.

“I had a good talk with [national coach] Joachim Löw. “We will find solutions together so that I can get a break here and there. For me that’s the only way and I am thankful for Jogi’s understanding.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/16/mesut-ozil-racism-claims-nonsense-toni-kroos

 

[giri26]

‘Go into hospitals and cook dinner for people’ – Vinnie Jones slams Mesut Ozil

Vinnie Jones has told Mesut Ozil to ‘go and do something he can be proud of’ if he doesn’t enjoy earning £350,000-a-week for Arsenal.

The Gunners midfielder made himself unavailable for Saturday’s victory over West Ham, citing illness as the reason, however rumours have emerged of a training ground bust-up between Ozil and Unai Emery.

Ex-Wimbledon midfielder Jones blasted the German’s attitude and issued a stern warning to the 29-year-old.

He told talkSPORT: “If you’re not enjoying it, go and build motorways or something.

“Go into hospitals and cook dinner for people. Go and do something you can be proud of if you’re not happy being in the limelight and having the most fantastic job in the world.

“[When I played] it was your lifelong dream, it was the privilege, it was the buzz of the crowd.

“I played right-wing, I played centre-forward, I played centre-back, I played in goal and I was on £150-a-week.

“If it definitely is that he’s not playing because he’s not happy with the position he’s playing, then he needs sorting out properly.”

Emery labelled stories surrounding Ozil’s absence as ‘untrue’ and continues to insist that he was missing due to illness, however as many have pointed out, it remains odd that he was then allowed in the dressing room before the West Ham game.

https://talksport.com/football/415647/vinnie-jones-mesut-ozil-arsenal/

 

[MenInG]

Joachim Loew has launched a fresh blast at Mesut Ozil accusing him of "exaggerating" claims of racism.

Loew also said Ozil refused to return phone calls or answer messages after the Arsenal midfielder retired from international football.

Ozil quit playing for his country amid the furore over a photo with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan prior to Germany’s disastrous World Cup campaign in June. Ozil said he had faced "racism and disrespect" because of his Turkish roots.

Loew said: "The player has not called me. In the past that was the case when players retired [from the national team].

"Mesut decided on a different path. I repeatedly tried reaching him via message or phone but that was not possible. I have to accept that."

Mesut Ozil has delivered an amazing snub to Germany boss Joachim Loew (Image: REUTERS)

Loew admitted that the row over the photo - Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan was also pictured with Erdogan - was a major distraction with Germany condemned to their worst World Cup for 80 years as they crashed out of the Group stage.

Gundogan has also faced a fierce backlash with threats and abuse following the photo furore.

Loew added: "My only intention was to prepare best for the World Cup.

Lucas Torreira's agent makes surprise revelation about Arsenal's transfer negotiations with Sampdoria
"This issue also cost us energy because it was always there. It is of course no excuse for our performance. That was not the reason.

"His claims of racism are exaggerated. Nowhere within my team during my time here, there has been not even as hint of racism. I underestimated the case."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mesut-ozil-delivers-amazing-snub-13158281

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

6000 neo Nazis marched in Saxony on Monday, overwhelming the police force in their attempts to attack migrant groups. There is a picture of an ugly nationalist mood being painted of Germany at the moment, with one columnist describing it similar to the mood before Hitler's rise to power in Germany. I wonder if this is filtering into the constant scrutiny over Ozil's commitment?

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Honoured and privileged to have this special piece of the Kiswah that covers the Kaaba in Mecca at my home in London. Incredibly blessed to have received this priceless gift. ☪<br>Alhamdulillah || ٱلْـحَـمْـدُ للهِ <a href="https://t.co/DUjiaofTFs">pic.twitter.com/DUjiaofTFs</a></p>— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) <a href="https://twitter.com/MesutOzil1088/status/1080819917165862912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

It may be their big day, but Mesut Ozil and his wife to-be Amine Gulse will mark their wedding with a gesture to help children around the world.

The couple, who tie the knot on Friday, are paying for 1,000 children to have life-changing surgery.

Ozil has chosen to forego receiving traditional gifts and asked guests to donate to a charity which funds operations for children in developing countries who suffer from burns, club feet and cleft lip and palate.

In 2014, the Arsenal midfielder, 30, donated his 2014 World Cup winnings - a estimated £240,000 - to pay for 23 Brazilian children to have surgery.

"Many fans have asked me, my close relatives and friends about our wishes for tomorrow's wedding," the former Germany international wrote in a social media post.

"As a professional footballer I am in a fortunate and privileged position. However, I invite everyone who is willing and able to help to support a very special project close to both of our hearts.

"Amine and I will bear the expenses for surgeries of 1,000 children in need."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48554743

 

[Ronaldo7]

MASHALLAH.
I've always loved watching him play.

 

[MenInG]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the best man at German footballer Mesut Ozil's wedding on Friday.

Ozil, who has Turkish roots, sparked a furore when he posed in photos with Mr Erdogan before the World Cup last year.

He then quit international football, citing the "racism and disrespect" he'd experienced over the photos in Germany.

The 30-year-old Arsenal midfielder married his fiancee, former Miss Turkey Amine Gulse, at a luxury hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus.

The couple first started dating in 2017, and announced their engagement in June 2018.

Ozil had announced in March this year that he'd asked Mr Erdogan to be his best man - which, again, sparked criticism in his home country.

Helge Braun, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, told Bild newspaper at the time that it "makes one sad" that Ozil would make such a choice, given the reaction to his meeting with the Turkish president last year.

Mr Erdogan meanwhile reportedly often attends celebrity marriages in Turkey, especially during election campaigns.

His attendance at Ozil's wedding comes ahead of a re-run of mayoral elections in Istanbul. The previous result - which saw his AKP candidate narrowly defeated - was annulled, prompting international criticism.

What happened last year?
The third-generation Turkish-German was born in Gelsenkirchen and was a key member of his country's 2014 World Cup-winning side.

He has 92 caps and fans have voted him the national team's player of the year five times since 2011.

But in May last year Ozil sparked a nationwide controversy when he posed alongside the Turkish leader ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, prompting some in Germany to ask questions about where his loyalty lay.

Ozil to pay for surgeries to mark wedding
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The criticism worsened after the German team - the defending champions - crashed out in the first round.

After the humiliating defeat, Ozil posted a lengthy statement announcing his resignation from the national team.

He said he had received hate mail and threats and was being blamed for Germany's disappointing World Cup in Russia this summer.

"I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," Ozil said, adding that despite his successful history with the team, the way he was treated made him "no longer want to wear the German national team shirt".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48564192

 

[Knight_Rider]

Good on Ozil. Well done for standing up for what’s right.

Erdogan is democratically elected leader and has done a lot of good for his country. I ve been to remote parts of Turkey and ve seen the evidence of it.

The hypocrisy in german/Western media is well known and this is the right way to deal with them.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

It’s up to him who he invites to his wedding.

 

[topspin]

Very happy for Ozil. He's not had the best season but he's more than good enough for this medicore team. May the Almighty bestow his blessings for the next chapter of his life.

 

[Knight_Rider]

Despite completing most passes and taking the ball forward (than anyother german player), Ozil was still made the scapegoat of Germany’s exit in first round. Still cant understand why a Pic with Erfogan was such a distraction for the whole Mannschaft?

What the losers Muller, Neuer, Reuss etc etc Why no blame on them?

I have lived in Germany and ve seen this kinda attitude first hand. There’s a reason why there is no (or very few) prominent ‘non-ethnic German’: politician, scientist, sportsmen, Actor....Despite having one of the largest immigrant population in Europe.

 

[rockyboy2018]

i am facing racism since my arrival in Germany - the percentage is still very low. Overall, Germans are very tolerant and reserved people. They never poke their noses into one's personal lives. When I compare such incidents with those ones that I faced when I was growing up back in Pakistan- these incidents look so innocuous. I still have my space and do whatever I want in Germany. In Pakistan, every vegetables seller in the neighborhood has a personal right to investigate my personal life. Good luck to him Im sure Germany allowed him to bring food on the table. He should be still thankful for that.

 

[sweep_shot]

A German far-right party has beaten the centre-right party of Chancellor Angela Merkel into third place in a regional election, exit polls suggest.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) won about 23% against 22% for the Christian Democrats (CDU) in Thuringia, a state in the former East Germany.

The AfD more than doubled its vote, from 10.6% five years ago.

The far-left Linke party, which governed as part of a leftwing coalition, increased its vote slightly.

ne of its coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), saw its support crumble from 12.4% to 8%, according to the polls, while its other partner, the Greens, maintained its support at about 5%.

The result in Thuringia could have ramifications nationally, the BBC's Damien McGuinness reports from Berlin.

It is a slap in the face for both the CDU and the SPD, which govern Germany together, he says. The poor results will exacerbate the struggles for leadership in both parties.

Why does the AfD alarm mainstream Germany so much?
"For Thuringia and the democratic centre this is a bitter result," the CDU's top candidate in Thuringia, Mike Mohring, said in the regional capital, Erfurt.

"We fought for this democratic centre and this democratic centre did not get a majority."

The AfD was founded in 2013 as an anti-euro party but dramatically shifted its focus to immigration and Islam, building support during the migrant crisis of 2015.

Its leader in Thuringia, former history teacher Bjoern Hoecke, was criticised by Jewish leaders and mainstream parties after he dismissed Berlin's Holocaust memorial as a "monument of shame".

"The sun is rising above the east and soon we will let the sun shine above all of Germany," Mr Hoecke told chanting supporters on Sunday.

"We have made the east blue [the AfD colour] and in just a few years, we will be a people's party for all of Germany."

Two years ago, the AfD shocked Germany's political establishment, acutely sensitive to the country's Nazi past, when it won 12.6% of the vote in a general election and entered parliament for the first time.

The government warned this month of a high threat posed by right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and right-wing terrorism.

Will the left return to power in Thuringia?
Bodo Ramelow, who became the Linke's first state premier in 2014 in Thuringia, told Germanys ARD channel he saw himself "clearly strengthened".

"My party clearly has the mandate to govern and I will take it up," he was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

But while the Linke are on track to increase their support from 28.2% to 29% they may not be able to muster enough seats to form another coalition of the left because of the losses suffered by the SPD.

The CDU, which actually came first in Thuringia in 2014 with 33.5%, has previously refused to co-operate with the Linke.

None of the parties is willing to form a coalition with the AfD.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50202916.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Will be interesting to see what he says once he leaves arsenal. Hope he departs gracefully.

 

[AdamM97]

I like this one quote from Einstein about racism and xenophobia:

” If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare me a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German, and Germany will declare that I am a Jew.”

 

[Knight_Rider]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50202916.

Thuringia and majority of the East Germany are still underdeveloped and deprived parts of Germany. similar to the BNP and Farrage strongholds in the UK. Hence its no surprise that it got to this stage in those areas but i dont see this spreading much to the other civilized parts of Germany. On a different note, Germany has been bailing out the Greeks, Italians and Spanish for a while now. So its about time that they start spending some of that money on the lesser developed parts of Germany. Time to get rid of the free loaders from the EU (and the special Discount seekers too...)!

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

I like this one quote from Einstein about racism and xenophobia:

” If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare me a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German, and Germany will declare that I am a Jew.”

Matlab : Kamyabi ke 100 baap aur nakamyabbi yateem hoti hai .

 

[MenInG]

Police in Germany has arrested a man on suspicion of planning to kill Muslims in an attack inspired by the 2019 massacre in two Christchurch, New Zealand, mosques, according to prosecutors.

The 21-year-old from the northern city of Hildesheim had announced his attack plans "in an anonymous internet chat", the state prosecutor's office in the town of Celle said on Monday.

Initial investigations show the suspect "has for some time been considering the idea of committing an attack in which he wanted to kill numerous people in order to attract worldwide media attention", prosecutors said.

The suspect referenced the Christchurch attacker, who killed 51 people in two mosques in March 2019, and said he wanted to carry out a similar attack.

"His aim was to kill Muslims," prosecutors said.

Police found weapons in the suspect's home, as well as electronic files containing far-right content.

He was arrested on Saturday and faces charges of threatening to commit criminal offences and financing violence through the purchase of weapons.

Germany has been rocked by a string of far-right attacks over the past 12 months.

A gunman with apparent far-right beliefs killed nine people at a shisha bar and a cafe in the city of Hanau, near Frankfurt, in February, while two people were killed in an attack on a synagogue in Halle, near Leipzig, in October.

In June 2019, pro-immigration politician Walter Lubcke was found shot dead at his home in the central state of Hesse, and a far-right sympathiser has been charged with his murder.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer proclaimed in March that far-right violence was "the biggest danger for democracy in Germany", promising a beefed-up security response.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ct-threat-attack-muslims-200608103951227.html