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?