BERLIN: German soccer star Mesut Ozil, who has drawn widespread criticism for having his photograph taken with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said on Sunday he would no longer play internationally for Germany.
“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 in a statement posted on his Twitter account.
He however, breaking his silence over the snapshot that caused outrage during the tournament, the Arsenal midfielder said in a statement on Twitter 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, I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish” he said. (Reuters)
