Mesut Özil's agent Dr. Erkut Sögüt, has revealed what actually led the German playmaker to finally quit the national team. The Arsenal star dramatically ended his spell with the side in 2018, citing racism and disrespect as what motivated his decision. Following Germany's disappointing spell at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Özil announced his retirement after being widely criticized for posing for a photograph with Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In professing the decision to withdraw his service for Die Mannschaft, the 31-year-old attacker asserted that the German Football Association (DFB) and the German media disrespected and discriminated against him for merely taking a photo with a man who, despite being accused of human rights abuses and being outspoken about German politics, was the head of state of his family's home country. The former Real Madrid star was slammed heavily and had his loyalty question by even German politicians.
However, according to Dr. Sögüt , the final straw that broke the camel's back came from the director of his client's old school in Gelsenkirchen. According to him, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner was told that he was "no longer welcome at a planned event, despite paying for immigrant children's education there for ten years".
"It was the main reason Mesut stopped playing for Germany," Dr. Sögüt told the Sun.
"He told me, 'If I am not even welcome at my own school how can I wear the national jersey?' Whenever anyone asks him for help, he just gives.
"He has given jobs to seven of his childhood friends from Gelsenkirchen. They now work for him in Dusseldorf.
"His charitable work costs him millions but he earns millions so is happy to give back. I don't know of another player who does it on this scale.
"But he doesn't want to brag about it. Most Arsenal fans don't care about these things anyway, just whether he is playing or not."