Former Germany international Mesut Özil has called on FIFA to bring Russia back into world football, saying that the governing body treated Russian teams differently from Israeli ones.
Attending a veterans’ match in Istanbul, the 2014 World Cup winner used the occasion to make a statement.
“Football has always brought about peace,” Özil said. “As long as we have not paid attention to people’s origins or faith, football has always brought people together.”
He then pointed to the sanctions on Russia. “As you know, there was no embargo on teams from Israel, but there was one on Russian teams,” he said and asked FIFA “to set aside double standards and treat everyone equally”.
FIFA and European Football Associations (UEFA) imposed sanctions on Russian teams and excluded them from their competitions after Russia attacked Ukraine.
Özil began his senior career at hometown club Schalke 04 in 2006 and joined Werder Bremen in 2008. At Bremen he won the DFB-Pokal and helped the club reach third place in the Bundesliga in 2009-10.
Real Madrid signed him in 2010. He spent three years there, winning La Liga in 2012 and the Copa del Rey. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger brought him to London in September 2013. Özil scored 44 goals in 254 appearances for Arsenal and won four FA Cups between 2014 and 2020. He lost his place in Mikel Arteta’s squad in his final season.
He joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer in 2021. The club ended his contract by mutual agreement in 2022 and he moved to Basaksehir. Özil retired on March 22, 2023, at 34, and said injuries played a role.
For Germany, he scored 23 goals in 92 appearances and played at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups. He started in the 1-0 final win over Argentina in 2014.
In 2018, he quit the national team, citing “racism and disrespect” after criticism over a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan.
