Former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has officially beenremoved from Fenerbahce’sfirst team.The 33-year-old veteran had been sidelined for more than a month before returning to the field at the beginning of March. However, in the second game he started for Fenerbahce, he caused grist for the gossip mill.
Fener’s manager Ismail Kartal opted to replace Ozil athalf-time in the eventual2-1 win overKonyasporlast weekend. However, after publicly criticizing the coach post-match, the former German international has now been subjected to quite rigorous treatment by the Turkish giants.
The players reportedlyrequested a meeting with the coach. It was Ozil who complainedabout having to sit out the rest of the match and not being able to help his teammates, while Tufan supported him by saying that the boss should be fair to all players.
Ozil faces second first team ban in career
Kartal, who took the jobin January 2022, then reportedly complained to the club’s management about the duo’s behavior. Eventually, the Turkish giant’s hierarchyopted to take their staff’s side and expelthe two players out of the first team. Ozil has been playing in Turkey for 14 months and he was given thecaptain’s armband upon his arrival in January 2021, when he penned athree-and-a-half-year contract with the Istanbul club.
Arsenal and their coach Mikel Arteta may not be surprised by the revelations, given they have already banished the German from his side before a lengthy leave. The playmaker last played for the Gunners in March 2020, when he was benched for the first game back after the lockdown and subsequently left out of the Premier League and UEFA Europa League squad.