Arsenal boss Unai Emery is keen to offer Mesut Ozil a semblance of “normality” following the midfielder’s controversial decision to retire from international duty with Germany this week.
Ozil, 29, called time on his nine-year career with Die Mannschaft after accusing the German Football Association (DFB) of treating him with “racism and disrespect” over the issue of a photograph featuring the player alongside Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan which was taken before the World Cup.
The DFB has “emphatically rejected” Ozil’s claims of racist treatment and while Gunners manager Emery did not take sides, he offered his support to the German as a member of his squad on a pre-season tour of Singapore.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s friendly against Atletico Madrid, with Paris St Germain also providing opposition later on the trip, Emery told arsenal.com: “All of us want to help Mesut feel like it is his home here with us, like a family and it is a family for every player.
“He feels here with us that he can work every day, and it is good for us that he decided to come here and work with us before our two matches.”
Emery says he has not yet spoken to Ozil about his decision, which was explained across several lengthy statements on Twitter.
“He arrived on Sunday to travel and I prefer to give him the normality in the team and for him to feel good with us,” said the Spanish coach, who is backing Ozil to respond brightly to any negative fallout.
“He has experience, he has quality and he has a great mentality and we are going to help him feel good and to show his quality with us. I am sure he is going to have a big season with us.
“I am very happy with him, every player is looking together and Mesut has the respect of every player here. It is a personal decision from Mesut and I respect it.”
Goalkeeper Petr Cech, who insists he is “concentrating on this season” amid speculation about his long-term future at the Emirates Stadium, is also keen to support Ozil as a colleague and to avoid assuming a position in his argument with the DFB.
The 36-year-old Czech said: “I’m not in a position to really comment on that, it’s a private personal matter for Mesut against the German Federation.
“As a team we support him here, we try to make sure he feels good, so he can train and perform at his best. As a team that’s all we can do.
“Obviously his decision is his decision and everyone should respect that.
“He’s training really well, he’s happy to be with us and we’re happy to have him back as well because he is one of the key players in our team and we need him to be fit and ready for the season.
“He has been working really hard so hopefully he will be fit.”
Mesut Ozil’s shock retirement from international football caught Germany head coach Joachim Loew by surprise, it emerged on Tuesday.
Loew was on holiday in Sardinia when news of Ozil’s retirement broke on Sunday and he only found out when the Arsenal midfielder posted statements on Twitter and Instagram.
“Neither the national coach nor I were informed in advance,” Loew’s agent Harun Arslan confirmed to German daily Bild.
Ozil, 29, dropped a bombshell by announcing his retirement from Germany duty and accused the president of the German FA, Reinhard Grindel, of racism.
“In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” Ozil wrote in his lengthy farewell statement.
The German Football Association (DFB) on Monday refuted Ozil’s allegations of racism, but the fiasco has damaged the governing body’s reputation in football-mad Germany.
A survey of 5,000 Germans by t-online.de showed 49.7 per cent think Grindel should resign over the saga.
Ozil says he is quitting over the furor caused by his meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the eve of the World Cup as Grindel failed to back him amidst the criticism.
When Germany crashed out of the World Cup in Russia after the knock-out stage, Ozil was made a scapegoat by some pundits in a group of senior players who failed to perform.
He was dropped after the shock 1-0 defeat to Mexico, sitting out the last-gasp 2-1 win over Sweden, but was one of several stars who played poorly in the 2-0 defeat to South Korea which confirmed Germany’s early World Cup exit.
The Arsenal midfielder is walking away after nine years as one of Loew’s most trusted players.
PLAYMAKER
The news that he had no warning is surprising as Arslan has a co-operation agreement with Ozil’s advisor Erkut Sogut, who only warned the DFB that a statement would be released on Sunday.
After 23 goals and 40 assists in 92 appearances for Germany, the loss of Ozil is a blow to Loew, who deployed the Arsenal midfielder as his main playmaker.
Germany’s first game after the World Cup debacle is against newly-crowned world champions France in the new Nations League tournament on September 6 in Munich.
With Ozil gone, Loew will have to find his replacement with Paris Saint Germain’s Julian Draxler or Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus as the leading candidates.
Leon Goretzka, 23, Lars Stindl, 29, and Thomas Mueller, 28, have also played well for Germany in the attacking midfield role.
“Mesut Abi (‘brother’ in Turkish), your technique on the ball has opened the door to the national team for players like me,” wrote Draxler on his Instagram account along with a picture of him and Ozil.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for German football. You can be proud of your many achievements.”
RETIREMENT
However, others see Ozil’s retirement as no great loss for Germany.
“He has not put in performances that can help the national team over the last 18 months to two years, nor was he convincing at the World Cup in his two outings,” ex-Germany captain Lothar Matthaeus told Sky Sports.
“Now there is the chance for a younger, maybe even a better player” to come into the Germany side, Matthaeus added.
Erdogan meanwhile announced on Tuesday that he had contacted Ozil to praise his “patriotic” decision in standing down from the national team.