Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil has issued an emotional statement to Gunners fans following his exclusion from Mikel Arteta’s Premier League squad, claiming ‘loyalty is hard to come by these days’.
The German superstar has been a peripheral figure since Unai Emery’s spell at the Emirates Stadium, and although there were early signs of progress under Arteta, those sparks have been emphatically extinguished.
Ozil in action against Olympiakos in the Europa League/Harriet Lander/Kopa/Getty Images
Ozil has once again fallen out of favour, so much so that he has been dropped from Arsenal’s registered squad for the current Premier League season, making him ineligible to play until January.
The former Real Madrid man had been tight-lipped about his situation until Wednesday morning, when he posted a lengthy statement on Twitter, describing his disappointment at losing his place.
After pledging his loyalty to the Gunners by signing a new bumper contract in 2018, he appeared to criticize the club’s management and organizational structure, claiming ‘loyalty is hard to come by’.
“This is a difficult message to write to all the Arsenal fans I have played with over the last few years. I am very disappointed with the fact that I am not currently registered for the Premier League season.
〽️⚽️ #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa pic.twitter.com/hF7abGklOT
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 21, 2020
“After signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated.
“As I’ve just found out, loyalty is hard to come by these days. I’ve always tried to stay positive week-to-week that there might be an opportunity to get back into the team soon. That’s why I’ve kept quiet until now. ”
Ozil also attacked his sudden exit from the squad, suggesting that there may have been unrelated footballing issues that led to his ban, claiming that it was ‘for the Gunners’. No longer allowed to play’.
“Before the coronavirus break I was really happy with the progress under our new coach Mikel Arteta – we were positive and I would say my performances were at a really good level. But then things changed again, And I wasn’t. Now allowed to play football for Arsenal.
Ozil began to find his feet again under Arteta before being dropped from the team / Visionhaus/Getty Images
“What else can I say? London still feels like home, I still have a lot of good friends in this team, and I still feel a strong connection with the fans of this club. No matter what, I will continue to fight for my chance and not let my eighth season at Arsenal end like this.
“I can promise you that this tough decision will not change my mindset – I will continue to train to the best of my ability and use my voice for dehumanization and justice as much as possible.”
Özil is particularly outspoken on events around the world, supporting the Uyghur Muslims in China, which the club later distanced itself from for commercial reasons.