Germany
midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from international football
following a period of "racism and disrespect" from officials and
fans.
The
29-year-old was heavily criticised by some fans for his performances at the
World Cup, as the 2014 winners failed to make it out of their group.
Ozil was
also panned by the German Football Association (DFB), media and politicians for
meeting Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan along with teammate Ilkay
Gundogan before the World Cup.
The Arsenal man
posted three open letters to social media on Sunday which issued a stern
rebuttal of his treatment and concluded with his resignation from the
Mannschaft setup.
"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," wrote Ozil.
"I used
to wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement but now I don't. This
decision has been extremely difficult to make because I have always given
everything for my teammates, the coaching staff and the good people of Germany.
"But
when high-ranking DFB officials treat me as they did, disrespect my Turkish
roots and selfishly turn me into political propaganda, then enough is enough.
That is now why I play football, and I will not sit back and do nothing about
it. Racism should never, ever be accepted."
Ozil has won
92 caps for Germany since his debut in 2009, scoring 23 goals in the process.
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