The 29-year-old quit the national side on Sunday citing “racism and disrespect” due to his Turkish roots as key to the decision after he was singled out for criticism when Germany bombed out of the recent World Cup in the group stages.
Making his first public appearance since his retirement statement triggered a bad-tempered debate in Germany about relations with its largest immigrant community, Ozil was all smiles at a fan event in Singapore. “It’s very exciting to be in Singapore. It’s our second time here and we really enjoy coming,” he told a gathering of Arsenal fans a day ahead of a friendly against Atletico Madrid at the National Stadium. They also play Paris St Germain on Sunday.
“We are expecting good matches against Paris St Germain and Atletico Madrid. They are great teams with great players, it’s a test for us to get ready for the new season, so it’s something to look forward to.”
Ozil was also criticised for meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, where the pair were photographed holding up an Arsenal shirt, and he has yet to comment on his retirement since he announced it through social media.
Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson and midfielder Alex Iwobi sat alongside Ozil at the fan event in Singapore with the former admitting new coach Unai Emery had been very active in his first few training sessions with the club.
“Training has been good and Emery has been a major influence to what we are doing on the training ground,” the 18-year-old England youth international said. “He’s looking to bring through the young players as well... pushing them, so they will have a feeling they can shine under the new coach.”
Spaniard Emery, who has also managed Valencia, Sevilla and Paris St Germain, was brought in to replace Arsene Wenger after the Frenchman ended his almost 22-year tenure at the helm at the conclusion of last season. Arsenal open the new Premier League campaign with a home fixture against champions Manchester City on August 12.
Decision to quit Germany team was not easy: Ozil’s brother
Meanwhile, Ozil’s decision to retire from the German national team was not easy, his brother said in an interview. “We made this decision together. He thought about it a lot,” said Mutlu Oezil, adding that his brother would now concentrate on his club Arsenal.
Mutlu said his brother did not deserve what happened to him. “Everyone wants to play a last game and end well. He could have had a better farewell,” he added. He also said the blame for the early and unfortunate departure did not lie with his brother.
Racism has always existed in Germany, Mutlu said, but it has now increased. However, he acknowledged that the family has not experienced it much. “While many racist comments were made against my brother, Germans also support him,” he said. “We are not hurt. We live in Germany and are Turks.”