(AFP) “He did the right thing,” said 63-year-old Abbas Haydin, as Turks in Berlin on Monday rallied around football star Mesut Ozil and praised his decision to quit the Germany team over perceived racism.
“He has set an example. This was bound to happen when you insult someone because of their origin or their faith,” said the Turkish-born pensioner, who arrived in Germany over two decades ago.
Ozil, a third-generation German, has been in the firing line ever since he had his picture taken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, sparking questions about his loyalty to Germany.
The criticism intensified after the defending champions embarrassingly crashed out of the first round of the World Cup, and the best-selling Bild daily has for weeks been calling for the Arsenal midfielder to be axed from the starting team.
