London, UK: Former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil has announced his retirement from professional football.
Özil, previously regarded as one of the top players in the world at his position, won four FA Cups with Arsenal between 2014 and 2020 in addition to the La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2012. Moreover, he played for Germany in 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups and scored 23 goals in 92 games.
“I’ve had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredible thankful for the opportunity. But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s become more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football,” Özil wrote on social media.
Prior to relocating to Turkey to play for Fenerbahçe and most recently, İstanbul Başakşehir, Özil began his professional career in Germany with Schalke and Werder Bremen. He then spent three years at Real Madrid and eight years with Arsenal. In each of his three seasons with Madrid, he recorded at least 20 assists, solidifying his reputation as a brilliant distributor and playmaker.
Özil’s 19 Premier League assists for Arsenal during the 2015–16 season are just one short of the league mark shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. The 34-year-old, who was five times named Germany’s player of the year, participated in every match of his nation’s World Cup campaigns in 2010 and 2014, the latter of which saw him play a key role in the squad’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final.
Thank you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Aqr4pB5SI2
— Mesut Özil (@M10) March 22, 2023
Before announcing his retirement from international competition due to racism and disrespect, he played his final match for the national team during the 2018 World Cup. Özil expressed his gratitude to his supporters, friends, and family in a post on social media.
“Now I’m looking forward to everything that is in front of me with me beautiful wife, Amine, and my two beautiful daughters, Eda and Ela – but you can be sure that you will hear from me from time to time on my social media channels,” Özil added.
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