The Mesut Ozil Theory?
The Epic Saga Continues.
As many on this platform know, I’m a tragic Arsenal supporter. Before you all start with the banter, yes Arsenal is crap atm, I know. However, I have another more pressing question to ask. Where is Mesut Ozil?
I know Mesut Ozil is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I remember when Ozil was bought into Arsenal. It was a celebrated moment by fans and Premier League pundits alike. A lot of people forget, but Arsenal signing Ozil was a huge coup. Mesut Ozil was the most expensive German player to ever come across to the premier league and he was one of Real Madrid Galactico’s and being a Galactico’s is a prestigious title, a title that comes with a prestigious price tag.
Skip forward 10 years and Ozil is lucky to get any game time and his wages is so gigantic no club is willing to pay them. Arsenal has just offered to pay out Mesut Ozil of the last year of his contract (18 million), just to get him to leave. Where did it go all so wrong? Why hasn’t Ozil made an appearance for Arsenal since the Premier league commenced? Going missing isn’t a new thing for Mesut Ozil and its to be expected at times. So, what’s going on now at Arsenal that’s so different from previous seasons? While everyone in the football world is trying to decrypt Ozil’s Twitter account, here is my take.
While most claim it’s Ozil not willing to take a pay cut, I have a different theory. As we all know at times Mesut Ozil has been a Social Activist, getting into verbal dust-ups with the Chinese Government over the treatment of the Uyghurs (rightfully so). Ozil was also critical of the German Government and German FA over alleged remarks of racism, after the disastrous German 2018 World Cup campaign. Ozil felt betrayed by accusations from X German players and officials about his commitment. German officials quickly forgot about the Mesut Ozil who was the centrepiece that Won Germany the World Cup back in 2014. This lead Ozil to denounce his affiliation with German football and he solely focused on his Arsenal career (Yet, his dedication at Arsenal is still questioned by some).
Some fans might not know this, but Mesut Ozil is also a Philanthropist. Ozil plays a major part in several charities, The Big Shoe Project, and My Shining Star Charities to name two. Ozil gave a massive £240,000 ($432.696.00 AUS) to the Big Shoe Project alone. So, it’s understandable if Ozil feels like a scapegoat when ‘wages’ are bought up. It could also be assumed that Ozil was a big part of the Arsenal and Adidas kit deal. Ozil was the only Arsenal player sponsored by Adidas in that Arsenal squad of 2013, where Puma was the clubs official kit. It could be speculated that the kit deal came about because of Ozil's sponsorship. I personally believe a double standard is at play at Arsenal and it's tragic when Ozil’s commitment gets questioned. I don’t see other players in the club giving away money, donating their name to political causes or using their corporate networks to ensure the wellbeing of the club, as Ozil has. Perhaps we as fans expect too much from Mesut Ozil at times?
I can understand how Ozil might interpret a wage cut to be a smack in the face. However, I think ‘wages’ have been used as an excuse to derail this superstar standing at the club, as there might be a larger issue at play. I also think fans who blame Ozil for the sacking of 55 staff are also way off the mark. Don't forget Arsenal have a board owner who could have personally paid those 55 staff. Mesut Ozil and the club agreed to a wage and its Arsenals corperate responsibility to ensure that contract is honoured. Imagine if Ozil did take the wage cut like the other players and Arsenal still cut the staff anyway? That's why I think there is more at play in this scenario.
It has been well documented that Mesut Ozil is a devout upstanding Muslim, he prays before every game and holds some social conservative orthodox views. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Ozil goes missing during certain times of the year where contentious social-political causes are being promoted by either the Premier League or Arsenal FC. The Arsenals Captains armband was even a point of controversy during Unai Emery’s time as manager. Unai resorted to a rotating roster of Captains to compensate for the contention.
Since Ozil is a social activist and a deeply religious person, could the Premier league and Arsenals FC corporate tokenism be causing friction? Is the main point of tension the wage cut? Since there has been nothing but silence on the issue from those inside the club, nobody can know for sure. It’s clear both parties have been at loggerheads for some time and maybe it’s coming to full term. Arsenal Football club and Mesut Ozil need to stop playing cryptic games and let the fans know what is going on, so all this speculation can stop. No matter what way you want to look at it, Mesut Ozil deserves better than the treatment his getting at Arsenal. Will the 18 million payout resolve the issue that is causing friction between the pair? Or does Ozil have a point? Will Mesut sit and wait collect paycheques on sheer principle? If this is not resolved fans and the media will continue to fill in the blanks with conspiracy theories and innuendos, which is unhealthy for A) the player and b) the club moving forward.
By Adam Owsinski
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