Mesut Özil quits Germany over Erdogan controversy Footballer Mesut Özil has quit the national team amid the fallout from meeting Turkey's president and Germany's World Cup exit. In a strongly worded statement, Özil said he would 'no longer stand for being a scapegoat.'

July 22, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) Mesut Özil said on Sunday he will no longer play international football for Germany following the fallout from his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 29-year-old issued three lengthy and hard-hitting statements via Twitter, in which he singled out German Football Association (DFB) President Reinhard Grindel. Özil said he would “no longer stand for being a scapegoat for [Grindel’s] incompetence and inability to do his job properly.

“In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” he added.

“I feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international debut in 2009 has been forgotten.”

Read more.

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