By Don McMahon
My heart is heavy and my mind in turmoil after having read Mesut Ozil’s scathing attack on racism in German football and in Germany itself.
I lived in Germany for two years and really enjoyed being there, especially for the football. However, after reading his exposé about mistreatment and bigotry on the part of the DFB and German media, alt-right facists and xenophobic fans, I am recommending that all true Gooners and UA readers have a look at his letter and comments on this post;
Once you’ve done that, let’s ALL stand up and support Ozil and every other player worldwide who is fighting similar battles against chauvinistic, xenophobic, Trump style racists, neo-nazis and haters, in and outside of Football.
How can we support him and others? Here are a few ideas and I am sure UA readers, being the intelligent and tolerant group they are, can find other ways to campaign for tolerance and respect in Football:
1) Let the DFB know that their treatment of Ozil is unacceptable, unprofessional and totally unfair…..here is their English website:www.dfb.de/en,
2) Let Germany, as a nation, know that Ozil is not alone. Here is the English language German Federal website: www.bundesreigerung.de/Webs/Breg/en.
and
3) Ask the Arsenal to support Ozil by denouncing racism, xenophobia and all neo-nazi BS that is directed at any footballer. Here is the AFC website to communicate through: feedback@arsenal.co.uk
4) Demand that the sweet FA and the EPL stand up to bigotry,racism and xenophobia ever present in Britain and the UK and take a firm public position against any such aberrations while supporting their Footballers subject to such abuse, including mysonginistic chauvinism. Here is their website contact information: www.thefa.com
5) Finally e-mail FIFA and EUFA to denounce the abuse Ozil and other footballers have been subject to because of their heritage. Here are the contact sites for both of them: Fifa.com and uefa.com.
Why is this important you may ask?
Here are just a few reasons why one of the world’s best players should NEVER be subject to such ridicule, racism, abuse and other negative experiences;
a) He is a German national, just like Angela Merkle or any of his German teammates. Why should he be singled out for abuse….why tolerate ANY shite like this against any person in the world?
b) His record speaks for itself…. his critics are small-minded, right wing fascists with a nasty agenda just like the blond fake president.
c) He represented the Arsenal and his country with pride and commitment, he deserves to have these values reciprocated by true Gooners everywhere and honest Germans in his country of birth.
d) His religion has absolutely NOTHING to do with his football prowess and such considerations should NEVER enter into the debate, EVER.
e) People worldwide have to know what horribly fascist BS some football ¨authorities¨ are capable of and must be made aware of Ozil’s right to be treated like any other person, with all the respect and dignity due him.
f) He is one of the most reviled players if we go by the media accounts of his ¨laziness¨, lack of heart, lack of commitment etc. We true Gooners all know better and those that don’t have a lot to learn.
I wish I had his personal e-mail as I would send him a supportive and heart-felt thank you from his huge fanbase at AFC. However standing behind him and making sure his detractors know that football criticism is fine but racism and xenophobia is NEVER acceptable.
I have sent e-mails to all of the above sites and I hope you will all do the same in support of Ozil.
You are being just as bigoted to Donald Trump and his supporters, labeling them based upon political ideology. This is disingenuous. The difference is that you feel completely justified in framing and slating those you disagree with.
As for Ozil, I feel sorry for him but I wish he had been given better advice – instead of remaining silent, he could have taken the opportunity to say that sport should transcend these opposing political views. That would have been more productive.
However, I do think he was badly treated and see his side in this particular dispute.
Dfb or whatever they are called, really ungrateful and sick.
Ozil 5 times German player of the year, 96 appearances for German team if I’m right.
Racism is in your bloods.
we support Ozil, we love Mesut
I will support Ozil’s stance and his reasons behind his ‘enough is enough ‘decision. For the most part I abhor politicians , as well as officials who should know better than to shift blame upon others for their dismal performance.
He is an Arsenal player , and I will support him , and hope that with his quitting the international stage , he will go on to be an even greater legend for us .For he already is one in my eyes.
Did anyone castigate the Queen or Theresa May for meeting with Erdogan? I think not, so why attack Ozil for taking a photo with a fan? Ozil and the German team have been blamed for their early exit but I think the fault lies with the coach. When plan A ddidn’t work against Mexico he tried it again. Twice. There were some young, fast players that he could have used but chose not to. The tactics that worked in 2014 didn’t work in 2018 as they had been studied by other teams.
Note Spain went to Russia playing 2010 football; it didn’t work in 2014 and it certainly didn’t work in 2018. Germany’s demise is the fault of the coach, not the man who provided seven chances in one game.
Gooner Dave……….with all due respect, Trump and his racist supporters (not all his supporters are racists or xenophobes but many are) merit and have earned the derision most of the civilized world heaps on them. It is basically the same type of xenophobia and racism heaped on Ozil, so yes it’s justified and will contin ue as long as he and his cabal continue to behave the way they do. I can defend this opinion with countless evidence and facts.
thanks for the post, don, but …
well, i’m really not sure about standing with mesut on that … i’d rather we admitted he made a big mistake, and let him sort out the mess he’s thrown himself into, with the help of a bunch of German racist pigs
what pains me most about mesut is the unforgiveable lack of recognition he’s had to endure from so-called football lovers-pundits; to me (and for many of you, readers of untold, i think), he’s no less than the david gilmour, w.b. yeats of football, such a magician the like of i very, very, rarely came across in my long football-fan life. actually, he reminds me very much of a french footballer of the 1970’s 1980’s – maligned as well in his own time -, jean-marc guillou (an AWenger buddy, by the way)
now … “politically”: look, i’ve been in … love with AFC ever since, an 8-year-old French kid, i saw the Fairs Cup winners draw nil-nil on a cold december night with the club of my hometown (F. C. Rouen)
but the fact of the matter is, in order to keep supporting AFC, i have to turn a blind eye on the Emirates stadium, and on the “visit rwanda” on the sleeves … i just don’t want anything to interfere with my passion for football, and for this club in particular; so i’ll do the same with mesut, i’ll expect him to take my breath away, every time he gets the ball, i’ll just condone what he did with erdogan, but i won’t go as far as standing with him …
have a good game tomorrow 12.35
I think Ozil has caused this negative social uproar by saying xenophobia and racism are behind his retirement from the German national football team as a player. If he had tendered his retirement to his national team coach for football reason and not attaching politics, xenophobia and racism to it while discussing his retirement with him to latter announce it on the social media as he did but without controversy to it, I don’t think the matter would have become a bad taste that it has become.
What is Ozil expecting from the BFB after unjustifiably dressed them down? Give him a part on his back for slating German football officials who gave him opportunity to shine to make fortunes and fame? The fact is that at the 2018 WC in Russia, Germany supremacy at Brazil 2014 was taken to the trash. And the Germany players including Ozil whose international football was on the decline cannot cope efficiently with the games at the Russia WC. Thus, they came under heavy criticism for their poor showing at the tournament. Ozil is not singled out for criticism but is among the players that were criticised by the German press and football pundits.
Xenophobia and racism have been with the world from time immemorial. Even in the same country natives of the country suffer from xenophobia of a different kind. But the social effects of racism and xenophobia are no longer on the high but on the low by the day I suppose. One just have to cope with and endured it when faced with it to get what he wants and gets on with his life to get the best he can get.
In the other way round, I think is Ozil who should apologise to BFB in particular and to the German public in general for his flagrant show of disrespect and ingratitude to them for the chance and support they gave me to become what he is today. Is it now the BFB have just known that Ozil is of Turkish origin when they gave him the chance to play for the German national team and have since been racist and xenophobic to you Ozil?
Mesut was completely within his rights, to point out that the DFB was acting in a racist manner.
I totally stand against racism and discrimination in any form and it is good of Ozil to speak up against it. However to accuse the dfb of racism and ask me to stand with you, you need to provide evidence. Frankly none of which ozil has provided, and like houness says he seems to be using politics as a smoke screen to hide behind critism of his performance in the world cup. After a bad tournament there will always be critics, some will use racist remarks especially if you give them reason to(meeting with erdogan), however being awarded your country’s best footballer 5 times in ??6years, when you’re not from Armenia or Malta but from a country with a football heritage as Germany, totally nullifies any accusations of racism against you, it shouts that you’re LOVED!!! The biggest players get the biggest criticism, messi does when Argentina fumbles, CR7 does when Portugal fumbles (we can’t forget the jokes made at his expense in 2012, when he waited for the last penalty against Spain and it never came), Neymar definitely gets it for Brazil. Ozil might have escaped seeing as Germany doesn’t have a single larger than life superstar, but his shenanigans with erdogan put paid to that. He should man up, he’s not a baby
Totally agreed bro. When he was winning 5 German player of the year he didn’t know about racism. Now he’s being criticized along with teammates that include other nationalities and religions and he’s crying foul
SAA, “I think is Ozil who should apologise to BFB in particular and to the German public in general for his flagrant show of disrespect and ingratitude to them for the chance and support they gave me to become what he is today.”
How did Ozil show disrespect and ingratitude? By saying he felt scapegoated? Have you seen/heard some of what was said about him as a fallout of those pictures that he took with Erdogan? Lothar Matthaus, one of Ozil’s many critics, was photographed with that great democrat Putin during the WC. Not a whisper of discontent heard. I know you’re Nigerian, and it’s particularly sad to read such things considering the tribal politics of that country. But then again, Nigerians make a point about “respect” and thanking god even when they’re being sat on.
If you as a Yoruba living in Zaria feel scapegoated in your community for one reason or another, and you come out and say so, does that make you disrespectful and ungrateful to your community? I can only suggest that you read up in detail about Ozil’s grievances, although I doubt that would change your opinion.
I stand with Özil. For someone like him to speak out in that manner, writing all that down, you will understand that it’s more than anyone could imagine.
@Samuel, it’s your opinion but am disappointed with that coming from you, a fellow Nigerian with “tribalistic connections” to everything here, you should know better. Though I have stopped reading your lengthy and double entries on UA.
Finally, I stand with Özil, I stand with Arsenal, I stand with every gunner and I stand with Untold Arsenal….
OP. Who knows the time and channel to air our Preseason game against Atliti?
Mesut is not guilty for the fact Thomas M, their best scorer, has been shit for two tournaments in a row and that they don’t have a top striker as the best strikers in BL are foreigners.