Ozil comments cause Arsenal to issue a statement of clarification.
Arsenal have had to come out in defence of their brand and to distance themselves from the conduct of one of the star players.
Reports from Sky News claim that the Gunners’ star Mesut Ozil recently made a controversial post criticizing the Chinese over their treatment of the Uighur Muslims.
The former Germany international recently criticized how the Chinese were treating the minority group.
He wrote: “(In China) Qurans are burned, mosques were closed down, Islamic theological schools, madrasas were banned, religious scholars were killed one by one. Despite all this, Muslims stay quiet.”
The post generated a negative reaction from the Chinese public, and Arsenal have moved quickly to distance themselves from the conduct of one of their most senior players.
The club released a statement which read: “Regarding the comments made by Mesut Ozil on social media, Arsenal must make a clear statement.
“The content published is Ozil’s personal opinion. As a football club, Arsenal has always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics.”
The club’s move is to defend its brand which has been thriving in China for several years now.
Ozil remains a controversial figure despite struggling to give his best performances for the Gunners. One of the controversies he generated caused him to retire from the German National team citing racism because of his Turkish background.
Should footballers be getting involved in politics while still under contract to Arsenal?
Maybe this last three year Ozil should have concentrated on his football as much as he has on his religion and his ability to court attention from some of his social or anti social activities. He obviously champions his roots and ancestry and is proud of his beliefs but while he has been doing all these things, he is forgetting and and neglecting the people who have given him his platform and notoriety. Maybe he should have put as much effort into his football now and sorted out his beliefs after, with the help of his career behind him. He get paid a lot of money and his passion should be totally in Arsenal football club until he retires, then he can deal with all sorts of things that matter to him and represent him until his hearts content. His passion is not with AFC like it should be. The club are 100 % correct distancing themselves from his activities.
Big wages blah blah blah
Lazy shirtseller blah blah blah
No passion blah blah blah
No Ozil fan here, but you obsessive Ozil-bashers are a sad lot.
He was voicing a support for an oppressed group of people. Yes, they belong to the same religion, but don’t Christians and Jews do that all the time as well?
The club, of course, are also right. Too much investment in China to support his views publicly, unfortunately.
Oppressed in China but the oppressed everywhere else. Do we have the guts to call a spade a spade? If not, the world needs is to do so asap.
*oppressers everywhere else
That’s not very classy
Those are terrorists created by western wars
Don’t confuse the two
Is your work more important then your belief, religion n family??? Then why should it be for Ozil then. He like anyone of us has complete right to voice his opinion about anything he deems wrong. Arsenal FC are two faced anyways when it came to Gay rights they did support them why did they not maintain the same distance from the issue what they are doing now …oh yeah I know bec of business. The club has fan base in china, some restaurant chain as well along with murchandise stores so they can incur some finencial losses which will not go down well with hierarchy.
that is the fact
Ozil’s comment clearly show that he s no longer concentrate on his career ever since the world cup,he has been withrawn to himself, I believe he s facing rejection problem. It is high time the club should part way with a player that has lose focus.he play like a frustrated fellow
@Diogenesis, what is the relationship between religion and football, regardless of ur belief football is a religion on is own,and arsenal fc is our denomination. Besides he is not the only Muslim footballer in arsenal or PL,I’l advice him to keep cool and focus on what he is being paid to do.
How old are you @Desmond, if you think football is a religion??? Lol!. About your other logic so if no one has the guts to raise their voice against what is wrong then you should not either?? No wonder world has become so selfish n self centered it’s because of ppl like you….completely idiotic comments.
Desmond, What a naively sad and selfish view. You are clearly very young and I only hope and pray that as you grow older you will come to know better and purer human values than these selfish ones you so stupidly support at your tender age. Players are humans , not robots and they have a God given right to stand up for their own true beliefs. You NEED to learn this and learn it quickly!
@Desmond
What is the relationship between gay rights and football? Yet AFC jumped on the support bandwagon there… Your advice is only good for you. Keep it that way…
How, why and when to draw the line on social and political beliefs
is an utter nightmare and is open to constant scrutiny.
Pleasing every one all the time is impossible.
So yes it is hypocritical yet financially and politically expedient
for Arsenal to criticize Ozil.
Europe USA and China are huge financial markets for Arsenal.
All three have a tepid respect for Islam and some are openly anti Islam.
Yet paradoxically one of the clubs chief sponsors and Stadium naming
rights winner Emirates have deep Muslim connections.
Though the club is clearly only interested in oil money not the religious belief
the club by association is never the less seen to be pro Islam.
The club stance on this Ozil issue only to protect a huge fan market
is riddled with hypocrisy but is part of a growing reliance on world markets
to fund massive player purchases and meet massive salary demands.
Ozil owes his vast income to a largely non Muslim market.
Yet if Ozil did not speak out his Muslim peoples would accuse him
of sucking up to non Muslims for money.
The club and Ozil are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Allowing Qatar to buy the 2022 world cup is just another example
of pragmatic hypocrisy where money becomes the ultimate principle.
F1 allowed two F1 races to be bought buy oil states while
PSG and Man City are oil state owned clubs.
Money talks and money talks louder than beliefs or principle except when
that belief and principle is money.
Then they go hand in hand.
Why shouldn’t Qatar be allowed to host the football worldcup?? Is the worldcup only meant for European and South American countries?
The interest in Qatar is low to negligible.
Just like F1, Rugby 7’s , cricket, Atletics and even boxing
these events are play things for trillionaire’s who need endless entertainment.
FIFA is only going there because of the money.
If they wanted a really passionate Arabic football nation to host
the world cup they could have gone to Morocco.
But Morocco’s oil reserves are at the same level as Quatars football crowds
Negligible.
There is life before and beyond football. Football is his career to earn a living and not life itself. He plays his football on the pitch, and then does other things outside the field of play.
He has a right to talk about other things that matter to him. Why should the media people run after him, not allow him his privacy, ask him all manner of questions? And then when he gives his opinion as a normal human, they now turn around and want to crucify him?
everyone criticising Özil for this should just go and do another stupid thing.. you are despicable human being if you think human lives and supporting human rights are more important than a silly game and a silly competition.. you should really be ashamed.. and arsenal too of course they will distance themselves.. they will be only “righteous” if its someone weaker.. shame on you guys and respect to Özil
less*** important
Bravo for Mesut Ozil – whom I cannot stand as a player, for the sole reason of his laziness – in speaking out for truth and In calling for justice. I fully understAnd why football avoids overtly political matters but it is impossible in this global and internet world to gag players. Nor should they try to gag players. OZIL IS 100% CORRECT IN HIS VIEWS IN MY OPINION. Truth, justice and pure humanity are before mere football and always should be. Otherwise I want no personal part of a couldn;t care less, save for mor and more money, game.
This brings me onto the new extended CL idea that is all over the news media today and I despise the foul idea of this further cancer reducing the wholeness and humanity in our game still further. Admins Pat/ Martin, an article on this would be very welcome. Our club, which means “money mad Kroenke” of course, is understood to be in favour of more games and further selling of footballs soul. Ugh!
Footballers are human beings and entitled to express opinions. Having an opinion should not detract from the performance on the pitch. AFC are correct to maintain a neutral political stance, but I think the issue of gay rights on a football pitch is something they should be involved in. When things are happening in a football stadium a club should not be neutral but should stand up for basic human rights, whether it is standing against racism, sexism or any other kind of discrimination or oppression.
I don’t know what’s been happening behind the scenes, but Ozil looks unhealthily thin, and I suspect the mugging attempt and the nonsense with Emery and Xhaka have affected him more than we realise.
I applaud your observant comment on Ozil looking unhealthily thin. I have thought this from thr very start of his time here, He also looks pallid and not in fighting rude health. I have long thought that his mental state is fragile and he lacks being at ease in his skin in my view. I strongly suggest he is clinically depressed and so are many, many other top players, many of them extroverts on the surface too,(though Ozil is not extrovert, clearly) as depression is not IMMUNE to talent, wealth and fame)EXCEPT that those factors are often triggers for becoming depressed).