Mesut Özil

Mesut Özil (German pronunciation: [ˈmeːzut ˈøːzil], Turkish: [meˈsut œˈzil]; born 15 October 1988) is a German professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Arsenal as an attacking midfielder, but can also be deployed as a winger. He is renowned for his technical skills and creativity; due to his agility, finesse and versatility as an attacking midfielder.[4]

Mesut Özil
Özil with Arsenal in 2019
Personal information
Full name Mesut Özil[1]
Date of birth (1988-10-15) 15 October 1988[2]
Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Playing position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
Arsenal
Number 10
Youth career
1995–1998 Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen
1998–1999 Teutonia Schalke-Nord
1999–2000 Falke Gelsenkirchen
2000–2005 Rot-Weiss Essen
2005–2006 Schalke 04
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Schalke 04 30 (0)
2008–2010 Werder Bremen 71 (13)
2010–2013 Real Madrid 105 (19)
2013– Arsenal 184 (33)
National team
2006–2007 Germany U19 11 (4)
2007–2009 Germany U21 16 (5)
2009–2018 Germany 92 (23)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:42, 7 March 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:19, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Özil began his senior career as a member of his hometown club Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, departing two seasons later to join Werder Bremen for €5 million. He garnered break-out attention in the 2009-10 season, being ranked first in assists in major European and domestic competitions, with 25 which garnered him a €15 million transfer to La Liga club Real Madrid.[5] At the club, Özil won the Copa del Rey in his first season, before registering a league high 17 assists in a league winning season.[6] Following a second-place La Liga finish to rivals Barcelona in the 2012–13 season, Özil relocated to England to join Premier League side Arsenal in a then club-record deal worth £42.5 million (€50 million),[7] making him the most expensive German player of all time.[8][9] During his first season, Özil helped end Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought, winning the FA Cup in 2014. He later became victorious in two more FA Cup campaigns. Özil would also record the second most assists (19) in a Premier League season in 2015–16.

At international level, Özil played 92 matches for the Germany national team, scoring 23 goals, and registering 40 assists. He also won a record five German Player of the Year awards. Özil represented his country in three FIFA World Cups, as well as two UEFA European Championships, and was an integral part in both the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, where he starred as the joint-highest assist provider in both competitions. Özil was also a key contributor in Germany's victorious 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign. After the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Özil retired from international competition, alleging discrimination and disrespect by the German Football Association (DFB) and the German media.

Club career

Early life

Özil was born in Gelsenkirchen on 15 October 1988. He played, at youth level, for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen during 1995~2000, before a five-year stint for Rot-Weiss Essen.

Schalke 04

In 2005, Özil moved to the youth system of Schalke 04. He was deployed a midfielder and wore 17 as his squad number, after starting as a playmaker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended Lincoln in Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.[10] Upon making the first team at Schalke, he was described as "the next big thing". However, soon after declining an offer from Schalke 04, claiming that a yearly salary of €1.5 million would not be enough, he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Werder Bremen in January 2008.[11] This led to Mirko Slomka, the then-Schalke 04 manager, claiming that Özil would not play another match for Schalke 04.[12]

Werder Bremen

Özil with Werder Bremen in April 2010

On 31 January 2008, Özil moved to Werder Bremen for a reported fee of €5 million, signing a contract with the German club until 30 June 2011. Other than Werder Bremen, Hannover 96 and VfB Stuttgart were reportedly interested as well in binding Özil to their respective clubs, however did not want to pay such a high transfer fee.[13] After transferring to Werder Bremen, Özil got the jersey number 11. On 26 April 2008 (30th match day) Özil scored the go-ahead goal in the 33rd minute against Karlsruher SC, to put his team up 2–1. This was Özil's very first Bundesliga goal. He played in twelve games throughout the second half of the season, six times playing in the starting formation, becoming second with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga at the end of the 2007–08 season.

Although Bremen failed to get going in their 2008–09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing a disappointing tenth, Özil managed to make a significant impact in most games and came away with a respectable three goals and 15 assists that highlighted his attacking credentials.[14] He helped lead the North German club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin.[15] He also excelled in Europe where he led Werder Bremen to the final of the last ever UEFA Cup, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.[14]

In the 2009–10 season, Özil became the key playmaker of Werder Bremen, stepping into the shoes of Brazilian Diego who had left for Juventus, was named the best player of the first leg of the 2009 Bundesliga season.[16] On 1 May 2010, the 33rd match day, Özil played his 100th Bundesliga game, scoring the 1–0 lead in a 2–0 win against his former club Schalke 04. Özil went on and led Werder Bremen to become third in the league and again to the DFB-Pokal final, however this time it was lost against Bayern Munich by 0–4. In his second season, Bremen finished a respectable third, with Özil contributing 9 goals and 17 assists in 31 league fixture appearances. During the 2009–10 season, Özil was also declared as the "best player of the first half of the season".[17]

Real Madrid

2010–11 season

Özil playing for Real Madrid in 2010

Due to his performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Özil ensured his place among Europe's top young talents. He was sought by teams like Barcelona, Arsenal and Real Madrid. English striker Wayne Rooney was one of the many admirers Özil had garnered with his performances in the World Cup, and had even asked Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to sign the German playmaker.[18] There were reports claiming that a deal was struck for a transfer to Barcelona, but Werder Bremen denied the reports and on 17 August 2010, the team announced that they had reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Özil's transfer.[19] The transfer fee is believed to have been in the region of €15 million.[20] Upon signing, Özil said, "When the offer came in to join Real Madrid, there is no decision to make. Let's be honest – you don't refuse this club. I was in no rush to leave Werder Bremen, but this is one club you say yes to. They are an institution, a club with a fantastic history, stadium and squad full of world-class players. The prospect of performing at the Bernabéu is so awesome you jump straight in."[21]

Özil made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3–1.[22] His jersey numbers were changed often before the season started. He was given the number 26 in the pre-season and 19 for his debut. But following the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart to Tottenham Hotspur, he was given the vacant 23.

Özil was brought in to back up teammate Kaká, but due to his surgery, Özil obtained a starting role. He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Ángel Di María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0–0.[23]

Özil taking on Daniele Bonera of Milan during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League

He made his season debut in the Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed for a Gonzalo Higuaín goal.[24]

He walked off the pitch as a second-half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo de La Coruña on 3 October 2010, in a 6–1 victory.[25] Özil's first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010.[26] On 22 December, he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, scoring once in an 8–0 victory over Levante.[27]

He finished the season with 25 assists, the highest for any player in any major European competition that season. Özil's performances for Real Madrid during his first season were praised by media, fans and players.[28][29]

2011–12 season

Özil began wearing the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid in 2011–12, signalling manager José Mourinho's intent to use the German international as his main playmaker.[30] On 14 August 2011, Özil scored his first goal against Barcelona in El Clásico in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España.[31] On 17 August 2011, he was sent off in the last minute of the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa after an altercation with Barça forward David Villa.[32] Özil expressed his desire to end his football days at the club in an interview with German magazine kicker, saying, "I'd like to end my career at Real Madrid. I know it will be difficult because I have many more years ahead of me and many younger and good players will also be out there, but I want to be part of that future. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm convinced, I'll stay at Real Madrid many years."[33]

Özil was on the short-list of the FIFA Ballon d'Or award.[34]

Özil's boots on display at the Santiago Bernabéu museum

He finished atop the La Liga assists chart, with 17 assists. On 2 May 2012, he helped Real Madrid to clinch a record 32nd La Liga title as he assisted Real's first goal and scored the second goal against Bilbao, which Real Madrid later won by 3–0. Eleven days later, Özil scored two goals in the final game of the regular season against Mallorca, once again consolidating his excellent performance with the club. The win made Real the first club in the Spanish top flight to ever reach 100 points in a single season.[35] His fine form with Real Madrid and German national team saw him earn nomination for UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in which he finished tenth, being the youngest player to feature in the Top 10.[36]

2012–13 season

With arrival of Luka Modrić before the start of the season, some in the media claimed Özil was unhappy at Real Madrid, but he later rejected such talk and claimed he was happy at the club and looking forward to competing for his place.[37] After the start of the season, he added the Supercopa de España title to his honours. In league play, he provided an important assist to Cristiano Ronaldo who equalised in a 2–2 draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou.[38] On 6 November, Özil scored a crucial 89th-minute free-kick to rescue a draw for Real Madrid and secure a point against Borussia Dortmund.[39] He continued his fine form in the league as he scored another brace against Real Valladolid to rescue Real Madrid in a 3–2 win.[40] He then went on to finish the season with 29 assists, although Real Madrid did not win any silverware except for the Supercopa de España, Özil's performance was praised. At the end of the season, Özil had 26 assists, more than any other player in the leagues.

Arsenal

Özil taking a free kick for Arsenal against Stoke City on 22 September 2013

On 2 September 2013, Özil agreed to join English side Arsenal.[7] Both the fee paid for Özil as well as the contract duration were undisclosed, but they are believed to be around £42.5 million (€50 million) for a five-year deal.[8] The transfer makes him the most expensive German football player of all time.[9] Özil was assigned the number 11 shirt and the centre-attacking midfield role by the team.[41] Contract leaks in January 2016, however, have revealed that the record fee was actually broken down to £37.4 million (€44 million) with a further £5.1 million (€6 million) split evenly over six years from July 2014, subject to Champions League qualification. A buy-back option also allows Real Madrid a 48-hour first option on Özil should Arsenal agree a sale for the playmaker to another Spanish club.[42]

Özil said of the transfer, "At the weekend, I was certain I would stay at Real Madrid but afterwards I realised I did not have the faith from the coach or the bosses. I am a player who needs this faith and that is what I have felt from Arsenal, which is why I have joined."[43] In Özil's first press conference, he said: "I would have come here for free, that wouldn't have been a problem." Özil additionally stated that Arsène Wenger played an important role in his decision: "When I spoke to Arsène Wenger on the phone, he was full of respect, and as a player, I need that."[44] Several Real Madrid players were dissatisfied with Özil leaving the club, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who said, "He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal ... I'm angry about Özil leaving."[45]

2013–14 season

Özil playing for Arsenal in 2013

Özil made his debut for Arsenal in their league game away to Sunderland on 14 September 2013. He assisted Olivier Giroud's goal in the 11th minute of the match as they went on to win 3–1.[46] Three days after that, he made his Champions League debut for Arsenal against Marseille.[47] Just over three weeks after making his debut for Arsenal, he made his home debut against Stoke City in a 3–1 victory. He was involved in all three goals, with two assists and a free kick which was saved but fell into Aaron Ramsey's path.[48] He scored his first goal for Arsenal, a brilliantly controlled finish from a Ramsey cross, in a 2–0 win against Napoli in the Champions League.[49] On 19 October, he scored his first two Premier League goals during the 4–1 home win against Norwich City.[50] Özil played in all six of Arsenal's games in November. The German playmaker provided the cross for Jack Wilshere's second goal against Marseille and gave further assists for Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini in the 3–0 win over Cardiff City. Özil missed the chance to score his fourth Arsenal goal when he saw his penalty in the win over Marseille saved by Steve Mandanda.[44]

In October, Özil was again short-listed for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award, along with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.[51] Özil was also featured on the UEFA Team of the Year. Özil began December with two goals in as many games against Hull City and Everton. A minor shoulder injury forced him out of the final game of December in a win against Newcastle United. After the 6–3 defeat at Manchester City in which he made another assist, Özil was involved in an altercation with teammate Per Mertesacker, who was angry with Özil's failure to thank the travelling supporters, an omission for which he subsequently apologised via Facebook.[52][53]

Özil and Olivier Giroud before kick-off against Southampton on 23 November 2013

Özil started four of Arsenal's six games in January. The playmaker missed Arsenal's victory over Cardiff City on New Year's Day with a shoulder injury before returning to make a late appearance from the bench against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. The 25-year-old produced a slide-rule pass for Lukas Podolski to score his first goal against Coventry City and provided the ball for Santi Cazorla's goal against Southampton at the end of the month to take his assist tally to 10.[44]

February was a difficult month for Özil, as he struggled to reach the heights he showed in his first few months at the club. The German playmaker pulled off a brilliant piece of skill to win a penalty against Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout phase, but his spot-kick was saved by Manuel Neuer. Speaking before the draw with Manchester United, Arsène Wenger spoke about Özil, saying, "He has done well, he is adapting as well to the Premier League – we have seen it before [that it takes time]. I wouldn't like to put too much pressure on him because he has been a top-class player until now. He didn't have the best of games [at Liverpool] (a 5–1 loss, where Özil was the centre of attention due to a bad performance) but that can happen. He works very hard to adapt to the physical level of the Premier League and for me he is an exceptional player."[44]

On 8 March, Özil scored his first goal of 2014 in a 4–1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton.[54] Özil was showing signs of old form and started in Arsenal's second leg Champions League last 16 clash with Bayern Munich.[55] He was substituted at half-time, and the reasoning behind it was that Özil had suffered a hamstring injury and will face a month out, missing key fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City.[56]

On 20 April, Özil made an instant impact with a lively display against Hull when he returned to the Arsenal team in a 3–0 win.[57][58] He then returned to goalscoring form with Arsenal's second in their 3–0 win over Newcastle United, and then assisted Olivier Giroud's header.[59] Manager Wenger praised Özil's impact upon his return, saying, "Mesut Özil is very important for the team. He's been missed while he's been injured. We've missed some very important players in an important period of the season. We're really pleased to have people like him back in the team and performing at the top level because that's what we need."[60]

Özil played all three of Arsenal's remaining fixtures during the last month of his debut season in England. The German playmaker came off at half-time in extra-time of Arsenal's 2014 FA Cup Final victory over Hull at Wembley Stadium.[61] Speaking before the FA Cup final, Per Mertesacker praised his compatriot's impact on the side during his first season in England. "You could see from the start that he is one of the best players in Europe," said Mertesacker. "His contributions and assists are vital for any club so we are happy to have him back."[62] Özil completed his maiden season at Arsenal with 13 assists and seven goals in all competitions spanning a course of 40 games.[63]

2014–15 season

Özil in a league match against Aston Villa in February 2015

Özil returned to club training in the middle of August after participating in Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup win in Brazil. On 23 August, Özil made his first appearance of the season in a 2–2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park. On 27 August, he played a part in Alexis Sánchez's winning goal in the second leg of the Champions League qualification play-off against Beşiktaş, playing a one-two with Jack Wilshere in the build-up to the goal.[64] On 20 September, Özil opened the scoring and assisted Danny Welbeck in a 3–0 victory against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Özil featured in the three following games and started in Arsenal's Champions League group stage victory against Galatasaray, providing an assist for Alexis Sánchez in a 4–1 win.[65] On 8 October, the DFB declared that Özil would be sidelined for between 10 and 12 weeks with a left knee injury obtained during a 2–0 defeat at Chelsea three days prior to the international break. The prognosis would rule him out of the remainder of Arsenal's Champions League group matches, as well as four international fixtures.[66]

On 11 January 2015, Özil made his first appearance in three months as a 73rd-minute substitute in a 3–0 win against Stoke City.[67] He scored on his return to the starting line-up in Arsenal's 3–2 win at Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 25 January, latching onto a pass from Tomáš Rosický before scoring Arsenal's second goal.[68] In his first Premier League start of the year, Özil scored once and provided an assist for Olivier Giroud as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 5–0 at home on 1 February.[69] The following week, Özil scored the opening goal in the Gunners' 2–1 North London derby defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane.[70] He continued his good form by creating both goals in a 2–1 victory over Leicester City on 10 February.[71] He also grabbed a pair of assists two weeks later, in a 2–0 victory against Everton.[72] On 4 April, he scored the second goal for his team in a 4–1 win over Liverpool, which would be his final goal of the season.[73] After a 3–1 win over Hull, manager Arsène Wenger praised him by saying, "Overall his influence was very strong."[74]

Özil followed up this goal with two assists for Alexis Sánchez in a 2–1 win against Reading in the 2014–15 FA Cup semi-final on 18 April.[75] Özil started in the 2015 FA Cup Final as Arsenal beat Aston Villa in a commanding 4–0 victory on 30 May, concluding his second season at Arsenal with 5 goals and 9 assists, in 33 appearances across all competitions, and back-to-back FA Cups.[76][77]

2015–16 season

Özil playing for Arsenal in 2015

After scoring during a pre-season game against Lyon, Özil received praise from his manager, with Wenger calling for him to have his best season yet in Arsenal colours.[78] On 2 August 2015, Özil started for Arsenal in the 2015 FA Community Shield, where the Gunners beat league champions Chelsea 1–0 at Wembley Stadium. A week later, he made his first appearance of the Premier League season in Arsenal's 2–0 opening day defeat to West Ham United.[79]

Özil scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United on 4 October. He had earlier assisted Alexis Sánchez to give the Gunners the lead in the sixth minute of the match.[80] Özil was named man of the match in a 3–0 win at Watford's Vicarage Road on 17 October, supplying assists for Sánchez and Olivier Giroud.[81][82] On 20 October, Özil scored his first Champions League goal of the season in Arsenal's 2–0 group stage home win over Bayern Munich.[83]

He set a new Premier League record being the first player to assist in six consecutive matches when setting up Kieran Gibbs' for 1–1 in the derby versus Tottenham on 8 November 2015.[84] He then extended that run to seven straight games with an assist against West Bromwich Albion, before scoring his second Champions League goal of the season in a three-goal victory at home to Dinamo Zagreb.[85] He then scored for the second game in a row when he clipped in the opener in a 1–1 draw at Norwich.[86] Özil continued his run of good form by providing four assists in the next three games, against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Sunderland, helping his team win all three matches. On 28 December 2015, Özil assisted the first goal and scored the second in a 2–0 win against AFC Bournemouth, creating nine scoring chances in total – the most in a single Premier League game by any player during the season.[87][88]

On 24 January 2016, Özil played his 100th game for the Gunners in a 1–0 home defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League.[89] The next Premier League game against Southampton at home on 2 February saw Özil creating 10 chances – beating the previous record, 9 created and held by him during the season.[90] This proved in vain, however, as the match ended 0–0 with the Gunners slumping into fourth as they failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games.[91] He then ended the Gunners' barren goal-scoring run in the Premier League with the opener against AFC Bournemouth in a 2–0 away win on 7 February.[92] Özil delivered his 17th assist in the Premier League from a free kick for Danny Welbeck to head in the winner deep into stoppage time as Arsenal came from behind to beat league leaders Leicester City 2–1 on 14 February.[93]

After a 2–0 home defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League, Özil scored and assisted in a 3–2 defeat at Old Trafford to Manchester United as the Gunners lost further ground in the title race.[94] Özil started in the 2–1 Watford in the FA Cup, where he set up Danny Welbeck for Arsenal's consolation goal with a backheel assist, and three days later in a 3–1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League as Arsenal crashed out in successive cup competitions in March.[95]

Özil assisted Olivier Giroud's second goal in Arsenal's last Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa in a 4–0 home victory as the Gunners finished second ahead of fierce rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. That was Özil's 19th assist of the season in the league, a record only beaten by Thierry Henry with 20 in 2002–03 in Premier League history.[96] Özil ended his third season at Arsenal with 8 goals and 20 assists in all club competitions, which won him the Arsenal Player of the Season award.[97][98]

2016–17 season

Özil missed Arsenal's opening day defeat to Liverpool, after his excursions at UEFA Euro 2016 meant he was not match-fit. However, he started his first game of the new season for his club in a 1–3 away win at Watford on 28 August, in which he scored his first goal of the campaign, heading in an Alexis Sánchez cross to score Arsenal's third of the afternoon.[99] His second arrived just under a month later, netting a controlled volley in a 3–0 home win against Chelsea.[100] On 15 October, Özil again scored a volley at home, as he recorded the decider in a tense 3–2 win against Swansea.[101] Four days later, in a Champions League home game against Ludogorets Razgrad, Özil assisted Theo Walcott's goal, and scored his first professional career hat-trick, which was concluded after again volleying as Arsenal went on to win 6–0.[102] On 29 October, he registered his first league assist of the season, after Giroud latched onto a corner to score the club's third in a 1–4 win against Sunderland.[103] For his performances, he was awarded the club's Player of the Month award for the month of October.

Özil began November by recording his third assist, which came in the North London derby, and was given after his free kick was turned into the net by opposing defender Kevin Wimmer.[104] Özil would then record Arsenal's Goal of the Season on 19 October, as he scored a remarkable solo winner in a nervy 2–3 away win against Ludogorets, which capped a resilient comeback after Arsenal were down by two goals in the opening 15 minutes.[105][106] He scored the opener in a 1–5 away win against West Ham United on 3 December, and assisted the fourth goal. He repeated his set-up exploits three days later in a Champions League win against Basel, feeding Iwobi from the left for the fourth.[107] He then scored a header in a win against Stoke City a week later, before rounding out the year, Özil assisted the only goal in a home victory against West Brom on 26 December.[108] He registered his first assist of 2017 after placing his corner directly in the path of teammate Mustafi, who headed past Tom Heaton in a 2–1 win against Burnley.[109] Despite an impressive first-half to the campaign, Özil would then struggle with muscular problems, and was absent for a number of Arsenal's games.

He returned to fitness to star in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City on 2 April, where he assisted the equaliser.[110] He would also break his breaking a four-month cold goalless spell after placing a controlled finish in a 3–0 win against West Ham United three days later, while he also assisted the second.[111] He then scored another volley just under two weeks later, in a win against Middlesbrough.[112] He then recorded his ninth assist on 10 May, where he set up Sánchez's opener.[113] In the last three league gameweeks, he scored his final goal of the season against Stoke City,[114] while his final two assists arrived in the following two weeks, against both Sunderland and Everton.[115][116] Despite the club missing out on the league and Champions League qualification, Özil concluded his fourth season at the club with 12 goals and 13 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, and featured heavily as he won the 2017 FA Cup.

2017–18 season

Özil playing for Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League in 2018

Özil entered the 2017–18 season in the final year of his contract, and struggled initially, featuring sparsely with knee inflammation. He recorded a goal and an assist in a 5–2 victory over Everton on 22 October, and recorded another assist a week later, against Swansea City.[117][118] His performance in the North London Derby on 18 November was heavily praised, after creating the first goal.[119] He then scored and assisted twice in a 5–0 victory over Huddersfield to close out November, and scored in back-to-back weeks to close out December, first in a victory against West Ham, and then a scintillating scooped finish in a 3–3 draw against Liverpool.[120][121]

After entering January with six months remaining on his contract, which would allow him to engage in pre-contract negotiations with any club, Özil assisted in a win over Crystal Palace, and also assisted in a loss in the reverse fixture against Swansea City on 30 January.[122][123] A day later, he re-signed with the club on a three-year extension, keeping him contracted until 2021.[124] It was also reported his salary more than doubled to £350,000 per week, making him the highest-paid player in Arsenal's history.[125][126][127]

On 15 February, Özil scored in the first knockout round of the Europa League, netting calmly against Östersund.[128] He then gained a brace of assists in the next round, against Milan.[129] On 11 March, he recorded his 50th Premier League assist in a 3–0 win over Watford. In doing so, he became the fastest player to reach 50 assists in the competition, in his 141st appearance, breaking the record previously held by Eric Cantona.[130] He continued his exploits in the Europa League by recording a hat-trick of assists in a victory against CSKA Moscow on 5 April.[131] Persistent injuries limited his involvement in the club's final games of the season, however, Özil ended his fifth season at Arsenal with 5 goals and 13 assists in 35 appearances, and featured heavily in the club's later run and appearance in the 2018 EFL Cup Final.

2018–19 season

Following the departure of Jack Wilshere, Özil returned to wearing the number 10, for the new season.[132] He was also named one of Arsenal's vice-captains.[133] Özil scored his first goal of the season in Arsenal's 2–1 away win over Newcastle on 15 September,[134] and netted again a week later in a 4–2 victory in the UEFA Europa League over Vorskla Poltava.[135] He scored his third goal of the season in a victory over Watford on 28 September.[136] On 22 October, he captained Arsenal for the first time in a 3–1 comeback win over Leicester City. Özil was involved in all three goals, scoring the first, and adding two assists in a man-of-the-match performance.[137]

His involvement in the first-team began to falter due to a mix of injuries and a dip in form, but he returned to assist the only goal in a victory in the Europa League against Qarabag on 12 December.[138] Özil was also publicly left out of the first team squad on a few occasions, leading to speculation he could depart Arsenal in the January transfer window.[139][140] However, no move materialised, and his form continued to suffer, with rumours also circulating of Özil having a fractured relationship with head coach Unai Emery.[141][142] He returned to goalscoring form in a 5–1 home victory against Bournemouth, where he also registered an assist, on 27 February,[143] while his last statistical contribution came in the form of a goal in a loss against Crystal Palace in April.[144] As a result, he registered his worst statistical campaign as an Arsenal player, netting six goals and providing four assists.

Despite this, Özil featured in the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final, where, after Arsenal's defeat, Özil reportedly vocalised his frustration with Emery in front of his teammates,[145] and continued to be linked with a move away from north London.[146]

2019–20 season

Özil was given additional time off to start the 2019–20 season, after being the victim of an attempted robbery. He made his season debut on 15 September, playing 71 minutes in a 2–2 draw against Watford.[147] He was controversially left out of the following Premier League games against Aston Villa and Manchester United, and registered his second appearance of the season in a Carabao Cup tie against Nottingham Forest, where he again failed to complete 90 minutes.[148] Özil made his third appearance of the season in Carabao Cup tie defeat against Liverpool in October.[149]

International career

Özil playing for Germany in 2009

Eligible to play for either Germany or Turkey, Özil chose to play for his country of birth.[150] In September 2006, he was called up for the Germany under-17 team. He was a member of the German under-21 team from 2007. On 29 June 2009, Özil was selected the man of the match in a 4–0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship final.[11]

He made his debut for the senior side during a friendly match against Norway on 11 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the senior team in his third appearance, another friendly, against South Africa on 5 September in Leverkusen at the BayArena.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Özil was selected for Germany's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, starting in all of the team's matches. He provided an assist for Cacau's goal to the 4–0 final score against Australia in Germany's first group game. He scored a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the penalty area against Ghana in the final group game, ensuring Germany progressed to the second round as group winners.[151]

On 27 June 2010, Özil played in Germany's win over England in the last 16 match, setting up the fourth goal with a cross to Thomas Müller as Germany triumphed 4–1.[152] During the quarter-final match against Argentina, he assisted the second goal for Miroslav Klose with a cross to ensure the 4–0 final score for the Germans. FIFA announced that he was among the ten tournament players nominated for the Golden Ball.

UEFA Euro 2012

Özil lining up for Germany with Mario Götze (left) and Jérôme Boateng (in the middle) prior to a match in 2011.

Özil was one of the leading forces in Germany's qualification for UEFA Euro 2012, scoring five times during the campaign as Germany won all ten of its games to top their group.[153] Özil also confirmed his reputation as a decisive passer, as he provided seven assists, more than any European international during Euro 2012 qualification.[154][155] When asked about his country's chances at Euro 2012, Özil simply replied, "We have the potential to beat anyone and we have what it takes to win the title."[156]

On 29 February 2012, Özil was recognised as Germany's best international of the year for 2011 prior to kick-off at a friendly against France in Bremen.[157][158] Özil's Germany were drawn with the Netherlands, Denmark and Portugal into Group B at Euro 2012, widely touted as the "Group of Death."[159]

Özil registered two assists, created nine chances, and claimed the Man of the Match award in Germany's 4–2 quarter-final win over Greece.[160] He then scored Germany's only goal (a penalty) in their 2–1 loss to Italy in the semi-finals.[161] His performance at Euro 2012 earned him two Carlsberg Man of the Match Awards. He finished the tournament as the joint-highest assist provider (3) and was named in the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament.[162]

2014 FIFA World Cup

Özil holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy after the 2014 Final

Özil ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as Germany's top scorer with eight goals.[163]

Following an injury to Marco Reus in a warm-up game, Özil was moved from his customary number 10 role into the left-winger position for the majority of the tournament. He started all seven of Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup games, and helped Germany make history by becoming the first European team to win the World Cup in South America. Özil scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute of Germany's 2–1 round of 16 victory over Algeria, a match widely praised as one of the most entertaining of the tournament.[164] Özil then provided an assist for Sami Khedira in Germany's 7–1 semi-final win over Brazil. The goal Özil assisted, with a clever pass, made the score 5–0 to Germany after just 29 minutes. The shocking nature of the 5-goal flurry generated worldwide astonishment.[165]

In the final, Özil played 120 minutes before being replaced by Arsenal teammate Per Mertesacker. Germany were crowned World Champions with a 1–0 win.[166] After the trophy was presented to the Germany team, UEFA President Michel Platini asked Özil for his match shirt as a souvenir, and Özil obliged.[167] He concluded the tournament as the leader in passes completed in the final-third (171), was ranked joint-second in chances created (17), behind only Lionel Messi (23), and ranked second overall in possessions won in the final-third (6).[168]

UEFA Euro 2016

On 12 June 2016, Özil completed the full 90 minutes of Germany's opening Euro 2016 match against Ukraine which Germany won 2–0. He assisted Bastian Schweinsteiger's goal in the 92nd minute.[169] On 21 June 2016, Özil completed 99% of his passes, created six chances and claimed the Man of the Match award in Germany's win over Northern Ireland.[170] Five days later, Özil started in Germany's 3–0 round of 16 win over Slovakia. In the 13th minute of the match, he had a penalty effort saved by goalkeeper Matúš Kozáčik.[171] On 2 July 2016, Özil scored the leading goal against Italy in the quarter-finals to give Germany a 1–0 advantage, before Italy later equalised through Leonardo Bonucci's penalty.[172] Germany, however, emerged as the victorious side after winning the penalty shoot-out 6–5, despite Özil failing to convert his penalty kick after hitting the goal post.[173]

2018 FIFA World Cup

Özil was selected by manager Joachim Löw in Germany's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[174] Despite the national team heavily under-performing as defending champions by being eliminated in the group stages, Özil featured in two of the country's three games, and averaged more chances per 90 minutes (5.5) than any other player in the competition.[175]

Retirement

In May 2018, Özil, alongside fellow German international İlkay Gündoğan, both of Turkish descent, met with and posed for photographs with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the lead up to the Turkish general election. The photograph was interpreted as a form of political support for Erdoğan and his policies, and caused tensions in Germany, and even prompted accusations that the players lacked loyalty to the nation.[176][177][178][179] The German Football Association (DFB) publicly distanced themselves from public criticism,[180] opting to end the debate,[181] and focus on the upcoming World Cup campaign, in which both Özil and Gündoğan participated.

After the nation's World Cup campaign, losing out at the group stage, Özil posted a series of messages on social media on 22 July, in order to clarify the photograph and address the criticisms he had faced. In a lengthy post, he described the photograph as simply "respecting the highest office of my family's country", while also adding his conversations with Erdoğan revolved solely around their mutual interest in football.[182] Özil also commented on several media outlets that were using the photograph, where he asserted that the media outlets have selectively criticised him for his Turkish background, while there was no media uproar after Lothar Matthäus's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.[183] Matthäus was actually criticised for his meeting with Putin.[184][185]

He later detailed his core issue with the national team stemmed from his interactions with Reinhard Grindel, the DFB president, accusing him of displaying both racism and disrespect on multiple occasions, while also noting similar incidents with other high-profile German nationals, namely Bernd Holzhauer and Werner Steer.[186] He then retired from the team as a form of protest against members within the Federation in which he perceived had "racially discriminative backgrounds" according to Özil.[187] Following the announcement of his retirement, Özil drew criticism from the public, former players, and managers, however, Özil was backed by his former Werder Bremen teammate, and at that time his teammate at his club Arsenal Per Mertesacker.[188]

Style of play

Özil with Real Madrid in 2011

A quick, agile, creative and technical player,[4][189] Özil is a versatile midfielder, who excels in an advanced playmaking role,[4][190] as a winger on either flank, or as an attacking midfielder through the centre of the pitch.[191][192] During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he was also deployed in a new role which was later described as a false-10 or central winger, due to his tendency to drift from the centre into a wide position when in possession of the ball;[193][194] he has also been deployed in a more advanced role, where he usually functions as a second striker, as he often drops into deeper positions, from which he can link the midfield with the attack and initiate passing moves.[192] He has even played as a centre-forward on occasion, seemingly operating as a lone striker, but actually operating false 9 role.[195] An elegant left-footed player, his main attributes are his vision,[196][197][198] his control, movement, finesse, passing range, and accurate crossing ability, as well as his delivery from set-pieces,[191][198][199] which allow him to get into good attacking positions, create chances, and provide many assists for his teammates, or even score goals himself.[200][201]

Due to his creative ability and offensive prowess as a playmaker, Özil has been called "assist-king" in the media.[198][202][203] As of January 2016, Özil had the best ratio of assists per game in the history of the Premier League.[204] Germany under-21 manager Horst Hrubesch once said, "We in Germany are prone to rave about foreign players. We praise Wayne Rooney to the heavens, likewise Ronaldo or Messi. But we have our own Messi. Our Messi is Özil."[205][206] In the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium, he scored a goal which has been described as a "work of art."[11][207] Germany coach Joachim Löw hails Özil for his "genius moments" and his performance without the ball.[208]

Özil on the ball in the 2014 World Cup Final

Former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso described Özil as "the kind of player you don't find these days," adding, "He understands the game, sees things, combines and thrives between the lines, unlocking teams." José Mourinho, who coached Özil for a time at Real Madrid said, "Özil is unique. There is no copy of him – not even a bad copy."[209] Assistant coach of the Germany national football team Hans-Dieter Flick said, "We are proud to have him in our team. When he has the ball, you can feel the excitement and astonishment among the fans."[156] Former Netherlands and Milan forward Ruud Gullit described Özil as a "technically perfect" player who has "total control of the ball" and a "great imagination."[210] Former Germany teammate Phillip Lahm said of Özil "His vision is probably the best I have ever seen... He is a dream for strikers.",[211] while Mario Gómez called Özil "probably the most brilliant footballer we have or ever had".[212] Despite his reputation as an offensive playmaker, Özil has also drawn criticism at times for his lack of physicality and his low defensive work-rate off the ball.[198]

His nicknames have included "der Rabe" (the Raven, or in Spanish, "El Cuervo") – playing on his smart and opportunistic style of play,[213] and at Werder Bremen "der neue Diego" (the new Diego), in reference to Brazilian Diego, whose playmaker role he inherited,[214] "German Messi"[215] and "German Zidane."[216] At Real Madrid, he was supposedly called "Nemo" – in reference to the clownfish from the animated film Finding Nemo.[209][217]

Outside football

Personal life

Özil is a third-generation Turkish-German,[218] who, in reference to his game, concludes, "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part."[219] He attended Gesamtschule Berger Feld.[220] Because of his Turkish descent, he was eligible to play for both Turkey and Germany.[221] At the age of 17 he decided on German citizenship and began playing for Germany U-19 team.[16] According to Özil's own words and the majority of sources, his ancestors are ethnic Turks[222][223] from Devrek, Zonguldak in northwestern Turkey.[224] However, there are sources that claim Özil's ancestors are ethnic Kurds.[225][226]

Özil is a practising Muslim. He recites from the Quran before his matches. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Özil said, "I always do that before I go out [on the pitch]. I pray and my teammates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period."[227] He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan, but he has admitted that: "Because of my job I cannot follow Ramadan properly. I do it only the few days I can, only when I have a free day. But other than that it's impossible, because you have to drink and eat a lot to stay at peak fitness."[228] In May 2016, he performed Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.[229] During a Europa League match in 2018 against Atlético Madrid, an Atlético fan threw a piece of bread at Özil while he was preparing to take a corner. Özil picked up the bread, kissed it, and brought it to his forehead to express gratitude towards the food given to him, which is important in Islam. His gesture was later widely applauded throughout the stadium.[230]

In 2010, Özil received the Bambi award for being a prime example of successful integration within German society.[231]

Özil started dating singer Mandy Capristo in 2013. The relationship ended in October 2014, following reports of Özil being involved with another woman.[232] On 12 November 2015, Özil and Capristo appeared together at the Bambi awards ceremony in Berlin.[233] An Instagram photo uploaded by Özil used the hashtag #OziStoIsBack, suggesting that the couple is back together.[234] However, they broke up in 2017 and Özil began dating former Miss Turkey, Amine Gülşe.[235] The couple married on 7 June 2019, with Özil paying for 1,000 children to have surgery in celebration.[236] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was wedding witness during the ceremony.[237] In March 2020, the couple confirmed the birth of their first child, a daughter named Eda.[238]

In July 2019, Özil and Arsenal teammate Sead Kolašinac were the victims of an attempted carjacking by a pair of armed masked men.[239] A Metropolitan Police spokesman later said Özil and Kolašinac managed to get away unharmed and travelled to a nearby restaurant in Golders Green, where they were "spoken to by officers". Footage also circulated on social media which appeared to show Kolašinac chasing off the carjackers. Arsenal commented they are constantly reviewing security measures with their players with help from independent experts and the police,[240] which resulted in the decision to not include the pair in Arsenal's Premier League season opener against Newcastle United on 11 August.[241] Later the same day, two men were arrested and charged with a public order offence after becoming involved in an altercation with security staff outside Özil's home. Police noted this incident was unrelated to the car-jacking attempt.[242]

In December 2019, Özil went on social media to tweet a poem denouncing the treatment of Uyghurs in China.[243][244] The poem was written over a backdrop of the East Turkestan flag and in it, he also criticised Muslim countries for not speaking out about the Xinjiang re-education camps.[245][246][247] Arsenal later released a statement distancing itself from the comments.[248] China's state broadcaster China Central Television responded two days later by removing the match between Arsenal and Manchester City from its schedule.[249]

Philanthropy

As part of the BigShoe project, Özil donated his 2014 World Cup winnings, an estimated £240,000, to pay for 23 sick Brazilian children to have medical surgery as a "personal thank you for the hospitality of the people of Brazil."[236]

In May 2016, international media covered Özil's visit to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, home to around 80,000 people displaced as a result of the Syrian civil war. Özil toured the camp as well as playing with children, signing autographs and handing out football shirts.[250]

In 2017, he worked with the charity My Shining Star to make a child cancer patient's dreams come true. He invited the child, Charlie, to be a guest at his private box and in the player's lounge during a game with Sunderland at Emirates Stadium.[251]

Media and sponsorships

In 2013, Özil signed a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas.[252] He has appeared in commercials for Adidas Predator boots with other star players such as Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Thomas Müller and James Rodríguez. One of those adverts, entitled "Create Your Own Game", was released in August 2015, in which Özil featured alongside those players.[253] In 2013, Özil launched his own logo.[254]

Özil's "M" goal celebration – which is in tribute to his young niece Mira – is included in EA Sports' FIFA 17.[255][256]

His autobiography, The Magic of the Game / Gunning for Greatness, was released in March 2017.[257][258]

Career statistics

Club

As of 7 March 2020
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other[lower-alpha 3] Total Ref.
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Schalke 042006–07Bundesliga19010201[lower-alpha 4]0230 [259]
2007–0811011004[lower-alpha 5]0161 [260]
Total300212050391
Werder Bremen2007–08Bundesliga12100002[lower-alpha 4]0141 [260]
2008–092835214[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 4]0475 [261]
2009–103195010[lower-alpha 6]24611 [262]
2010–11 00100010 [263]
Total71131120026210817
Real Madrid2010–11La Liga3666311[lower-alpha 5]15310 [263]
2011–123545010[lower-alpha 5]221527 [264]
2012–133298010[lower-alpha 5]1205210 [264]
2013–1420000020 [264]
Total105191933144115927
Arsenal2013–14Premier League26551108[lower-alpha 5]1407 [264]
2014–1522451005[lower-alpha 5]000325 [264]
2015–1635610008[lower-alpha 5]210458 [264]
2016–1733830008[lower-alpha 5]44412 [264]
2017–1826400207[lower-alpha 6]1355[264]
2018–19245100010[lower-alpha 6]1356[264]
2019–2018110202[lower-alpha 6]0231[264]
Total18433162504891025444
Career total3906548870110155156089
  1. Includes DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey, and FA Cup matches.
  2. Includes DFB-Ligapokal and League Cup matches.
  3. Includes Supercopa de España and FA Community Shield matches.
  4. Appearances in UEFA Cup
  5. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  6. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of 27 June 2018[265]
Germany
YearAppsGoals
200971
2010142
201195
2012136
201393
2014101
201580
2016133
201751
201841
Total9223

International goals

As of 2 June 2018.[266]

Germany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Özil goal.

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.5 September 2009BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany South Africa2–02–0Friendly
2.23 June 2010Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa Ghana1–01–02010 FIFA World Cup
3.8 October 2010Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany Turkey2–03–0UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
4.7 June 2011Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan1–03–1
5.2 September 2011Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany Austria
2–0
6–2
6.
4–1
7.October 2011Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany Belgium1–03–1
8.November 2011Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany Netherlands3–03–0Friendly
9.28 June 2012National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland Italy1–21–2UEFA Euro 2012
10.7 September 2012AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany Faroe Islands
2–0
3–0
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
11.
3–0
12.11 September 2012Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria Austria2–02–1
13.12 October 2012Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland Republic of Ireland3–06–1
14.16 October 2012Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany Sweden4–04–4
15.10 September 2013Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Faroe Islands2–03–0
16.11 October 2013Rhein-Energie Stadion, Cologne, Germany Republic of Ireland3–03–0
17.15 October 2013Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden Sweden1–25–3
18.30 June 2014Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil Algeria2–02–12014 FIFA World Cup
19.29 March 2016Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany Italy4–04–1Friendly
20.2 July 2016Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France1–01–1UEFA Euro 2016
21.31 August 2016Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany Finland2–02–0Friendly
22.4 September 2017Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany Norway1–06–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
23.2 June 2018Wörtherseestadion, Klagenfurt, Austria Austria1–01–2Friendly

Honours

Werder Bremen[267]

  • DFB-Pokal: 2008–09
  • UEFA Cup runner-up: 2008–09

Real Madrid[267]

  • La Liga: 2011–12
  • Copa del Rey: 2010–11
  • Supercopa de España: 2012

Arsenal

Germany U21

  • UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009[274]

Germany

Individual

  • kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2008–09[276]
  • kicker attacking midfielder of the year: 2010[277]
  • Germany national team Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016[278][279]
  • UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012[280]
  • UEFA Team of the Year: 2012, 2013[281][282]
  • FIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2013, 2016[283][284]
  • FIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2014, 2017[285][286]
  • Laureus Media Award: 2014[287][288]
  • IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Silver award: 2013[289]
  • PFA Fans Player of the Month: April, November & December 2015[290][291]
  • German Football Ambassador Public Award: 2015[292]
  • Best German Abroad (Kicker Magazine): 2016[293]
  • Arsenal Player of the Season: 2015–16[294]
  • UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 10th place 2012[295]
  • FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2010 (13th place), 2011 (11th place), 2012 (14th place), 2013 (16th place)[296]

Performance

References

  1. "Updated squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  2. "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of players: Germany" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 11. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  3. "Mesut Özil - Spielerprofil". DFB Datencenter. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  4. "Mourinho: Ozil will make history at Real". ESPNSTAR.com. 26 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  5. "The top 10 assists leaders in Europe for 2010⁄11". imscouting.com. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  6. "Spanish La Liga". EXPN Soccernat. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  7. "German international Özil joins Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  8. Ornstein, David (2 September 2013). "Mesut Özil: Arsenal sign Real Madrid midfielder for £42.4m". BBC. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  9. "Arsenal smash club record to sign Mesut Özil". The Guardian. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  10. Jean-Julien Beer (27 July 2006). "Ein 17-Jähriger soll Lincoln ersetzen" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
  11. "Mesut Özil Bio". espnsoccernet.com. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  12. "Kurzpässe: Ewerthon nach Barcelona, Kuffour nach Amsterdam". Der Spiegel. 29 January 2008.
  13. "Millionen-Deal: Bremen verpflichtet Schalker Özil". Der Spiegel. 31 January 2008.
  14. Shapland, Dave (28 November 2009). "Bundesliga player profile – Mesut Ozil, Werder Bremen". adifferentleague.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  15. "Mesut Oezil". 4to40.com. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  16. "Mesut Özil". Real Madrid CF. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  17. "Sportschau.de: Wahl – Mesut Özil ist Spieler der Hinrunde" (in German). Sportschau. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009.
  18. Gibson, Owen (22 October 2013). "Sir Alex Ferguson: 'Wayne Rooney wanted me to sign Mesut Özil'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  19. "Mesut Özil to Play for Real Madrid". Real Madrid CF. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  20. "Real Madrid confirm signing of Germany star Mesut Ozil". BBC sport. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  21. "Mesut Ozil Interview: Real Madrid's new star". ESPN FC. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  22. Madden, Paul (22 August 2010). "Hercules 1–3 Real Madrid: Benzema Brace Seals Friendly Triumph". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  23. "Report: The Whites make their debut in the 2010/11 edition of La Liga". Real Madrid CF. 29 August 2010. Archived from the original on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  24. "Report: The Whites earn a victory in their Champions League debut". Real Madrid CF. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  25. Mondal, Subhankar (3 October 2010). "Real Madrid 6–1 Deportivo La Coruna: Ronaldo Brace Sees Los Blancos Go Above Barcelona". goal.com. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  26. Lutz, Tom (19 October 2010). "Real Madrid v Milan – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  27. "Real Madrid vs Levante Report". Goal.com. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  28. "Praise for Mesut Ozil". Real Madrid CF. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  29. "Ozil's magic amazes the entire planet". Real Madrid CF. 7 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  30. "Mesut Ozil To Wear No.10 Shirt For Real Madrid in 2011–12". Goal.com. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  31. "Real Madrid 2–2 Barcelona: All-square in thrilling Supercopa contest". Goal.com. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  32. "Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid (Agg. 5–4): Lionel Messi brace wins Supercopa amid violent scenes at Camp Nou". Goal.com. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  33. "Ozil: "I'd like to end my career at Real Madrid"". Real Madrid CF. 2 February 2012. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  34. "Men's shortlists for FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2011 revealed". FIFA. 1 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  35. "Ton-up Real set new landmark". ESPN Soccernet. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  36. "Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo up for Best Player Award". UEFA. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  37. "Mesut Ozil reiterates happiness". ESPN. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  38. "Ronaldo, Messi share spoils in draw". ESPN FC. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  39. Lowe, Sid (6 November 2012). "Mesut Ozil saves Real Madrid with late goal against Borussia Dortmund". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  40. "Ozil nets 2 to give Madrid 3-2 win at Valladolid". independent.com.mt. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  41. Burt, Jason (7 September 2013). "Arsenal's signing of classic No10 player Mesut Özil adds to the Premier League trend for putting faith in playmakers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  42. Jeremy Wilson (25 January 2016). "Mesut Ozil leaked contract reveals Real Madrid have buy-back option from Arsenal". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  43. Olley, James (3 September 2013). "'With Arsene Wenger's belief I can get even better' – Mesut Ozil". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  44. "Mesut Ozil". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  45. de Menezes, Jack (4 September 2013). "Transfer news: Cristiano Ronaldo 'angry' about Mesut Ozil's departure from Real Madrid despite Gareth Bale signing". Independent. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  46. "Sunderland 1–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  47. Magowan, Alistair (18 September 2013). "Marseille 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  48. Magowan, Alistair (22 September 2013). "Arsenal 3–1 Stoke City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  49. "Arsenal 2–0 Napoli – Match Report". Arsenal F.C. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  50. "Arsenal and Mesut Özil turn on style to sweep past Norwich City". The Guardian. London. 20 October 2013.
  51. "Men's shortlists for FIFA Ballon d'Or 2013 revealed". FIFA. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  52. "Ozil apologises to Arsenal fans". ESPN. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  53. Bevan, Chris (14 December 2013). "Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger plays down importance of Man City loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  54. "Arsenal v Everton: FA Cup – as it happened". The Guardian. 8 March 2014.
  55. Cryer, Andy (11 March 2014). "Bayern Munich 1–1 Arsenal (agg 3–1)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  56. Ornstein, David (13 March 2014). "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal's record buy out for month with hamstring injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  57. "Özil returns at Hull". Arsenal F.C. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  58. "Lukas Podolski double eases Arsenal past Hull in FA Cup final rehearsal". The Guardian. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  59. Sheringham, Sam (28 April 2014). "Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  60. "Wenger praises Özil's impact in Arsenal turnaround". Arsenal F.C. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  61. McNulty, Phil (17 May 2014). "Arsenal 3–2 Hull". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  62. Mertesacker, Per (30 May 2014). "Praise from Mertesacker after Özil completes maiden Arsenal season". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  63. "Mesut Özil". ESPN FC. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  64. "Özil begins second season in England". Arsenal F.C. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  65. "Özil assists for Arsenal in 4–1 win". BBC Sport. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  66. "Mesut Özil: Arsenal midfielder out with knee injury for up to 12 weeks". BBC Sport. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  67. "Arsenal's Alexis Sánchez dazzles again with double in win over Stoke". The Guardian. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  68. "Arsenal through after Brighton scare as Theo Walcott and Mesut Özil return". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  69. Dawkes, Phil (1 February 2015). "Arsenal 5–0 Aston Villa". BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  70. Dawkes, Phil (7 February 2015). "Tottenham 2–1 Arsenal". BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  71. Dawkes, Phil (10 February 2015). "Arsenal 2–1 Leicester". BBC. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  72. Dawkes, Phil (1 March 2015). "Arsenal 2–0 Everton". BBC. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  73. McNulty, Phil (4 April 2015). "Arsenal 4–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  74. Rob, Kelly (5 May 2015). "Wenger – Ozil's influence was so strong". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  75. Hassan, Nabil (18 April 2015). "Holders Arsenal reached a record 19th FA Cup final after two goals from Alexis Sanchez sealed victory over Reading in extra-time". BBC. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  76. McNulty, Phil (30 May 2015). "Arsenal became the most successful club in FA Cup history as they outclassed Aston Villa at Wembley to earn Arsene Wenger a record-equalling sixth triumph". BBC. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  77. "Mesut Özil". ESPN FC. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  78. "Premier League – Arsene Wenger backs Mesut Ozil to shine". Yahoo Eurosport UK. 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  79. Hynter, David (10 August 2015). "West Ham capitalise on Petr Cech's debut errors to stun nervy Arsenal". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  80. "Arsenal 3–0 Man Utd". BBC. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  81. "Premier League: FT Watford 0–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  82. Saj Chowdhury. "Watford 0–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  83. Ronay, Barney (21 October 2015). "Mesut Özil greases the cogs as Arsenal twist and turn to put Bayern in a spin". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  84. Orr, James (8 November 2015). "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal playmaker makes history in Tottenham draw by becoming first player to assist in six consecutive Premier League games". The Independent. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  85. Phil McNulty. "Arsenal 3–0 Dinamo Zagreb". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  86. James Gheerbrant. "Norwich City 1–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  87. "Arsenal 2–0 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  88. Wright, Nick (28 December 2015). "Mesut Ozil in a league of his own as Arsenal beat Bournemouth". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  89. Emre Sarigul (25 January 2016). "Mesut Ozil loses 100th game for Arsenal against Chelsea". Turkish Football. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  90. Alex Brodie (3 February 2016). "Stats show Arsenal need new striker after 0–0 draw despite Mesut Ozil creating record amount of chances". Metro. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  91. Callum Davis (2 February 2016). "Arsenal 0 Southampton 0: Five things we learned". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  92. Marc Higginson (7 February 2016). "Arsenal scored twice in 88 first-half seconds to overwhelm Bournemouth and move level on points with second-placed Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  93. Barney Ronay (14 February 2016). "Danny Welbeck's last-gasp effort gives Arsenal win over 10-man Leicester". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  94. Jamie Jackson (28 February 2016). "Marcus Rashford's double for Manchester United deflates Arsenal hopes". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  95. Sid Lowe (16 March 2016). "Luis Suárez acrobatics end Arsenal's unlikely resistance at Barcelona". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  96. Jeremy Wilson (15 May 2016). "Arsenal 4 Aston Villa 0: Hosts clinch unlikely St Totteringham's Day as Olivier Giroud grabs hat-trick". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  97. "Mesut Özil". ESPN FC. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  98. Karen, Mattias (20 May 2016). "Mesut Ozil named Arsenal's player of the season by fans". ESPN FC. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  99. "Watford 1–3 Arsenal – BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  100. "Arsenal 3–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  101. "Arsenal 3–2 Swansea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  102. "Arsenal 6–0 Ludogorets". Sky Sports. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  103. "Sunderland 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  104. "Arsenal 1–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  105. "Arsenal 2–3 Ludogorets". BBC Sport. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  106. "Özil stunner vs. Ludogorets". 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016 via YouTube.
  107. "Basel 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  108. "Arsenal 1–0 West Brom". BBC Sport. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  109. "Arsenal 2–1 Burnley". BBC Sport. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  110. "Arsenal 2–2 Man City". BBC Sport. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  111. "Arsenal 3–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  112. "Middlesbrough 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  113. "Southampton 0–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  114. "Stoke City 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  115. "Arsenal 2–0 Sunderland". BBC Sport. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  116. "Arsenal 3–1 Everton". BBC Sport. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  117. "Everton 2–5 Arsenal". Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  118. "Arsenal 2–1 Swansea". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  119. "Arsenal 2–0 Sours". Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  120. "Arsenal 5–0 Huddersfield". Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  121. "Arsenal 3–3 Liverpool". Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  122. "Arsenal 4–1 Crystal Palace". Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  123. "Swansea 3–1 Arsenal". Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  124. "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder signs new contract until 2021". BBC. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  125. Karen, Mattias (2 February 2018). "Wenger: Paying Ozil mega salary was 'cheapest option' for Arsenal". ESPN. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  126. Wilson, Jeremy (31 January 2018). "Mesut Ozil agrees new £350,000-a-week deal to become Arsenal's highest paid player". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  127. Ornstein, David (31 January 2018). "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder signs new contract until 2021". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  128. Lawrence, Amy (15 February 2018). "Mesut Özil strike seals Europa League win for Arsenal at Östersund". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  129. Lawrence, Amy (8 March 2018). "rsenal cast off gloom with Europa League first leg romp against Milan". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  130. Wright, Nick (12 March 2018). "Mesut Ozil brings up 50 Premier League assists in record time". Sky Sports. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  131. Johnston, Neil. "Arsenal 4-1 CSKA Moscow". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  132. "Mesut Ozil proudly shows off his No. 10 shorts to Arsenal team-mate Alexandre Lacazette". Metro. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  133. "Emery names Koscielny main captain". Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  134. Poole, Harry (15 September 2018). "Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal: Granit Xhaka's free-kick sets Gunners on way to win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  135. "Arsenal 4–2 Vorskla Polatva". BBC Sport. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  136. "Arsenal 2–0 Watford". 29 September 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  137. "Emery backs Ozil, Arsenal to continue 'sexy football'". ESPN. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  138. "Europa League Recap: Arsenal 1-0 Qarabag Highlights, Goals and Best Moments". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  139. "Mesut Ozil set for January transfer to European club?". SportsJOE.ie.
  140. Glendenning, Barry (3 December 2018). "Football transfer rumours: Mesut Özil to leave Arsenal for Inter?". The Guardian.
  141. Steinberg, Jacob (13 January 2019). "Unai Emery knocks Mesut Özil off his star-status pedestal at Arsenal". The Guardian.
  142. Wallace, Sam (27 January 2019). "Arsenal's indulging of Mesut Ozil has left manager Unai Emery short-changed". The Daily Telegraph.
  143. "Arsenal 5-1 Bournemouth: Gunners score five to stay in top four". BBC Sport. 28 February 2019.
  144. "Arsenal 2-3 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 21 April 2019.
  145. Verschueren, Gianni. "Report: Arsenal Exploring Mesut Ozil Sale; Player Insulted Manager Unai Emery". Bleacher Report.
  146. "Mesut Ozil: Fenerbahce play down move for Arsenal midfielder". BBC Sport. 10 July 2019.
  147. "Arsenal 2–2 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  148. "Arsenal 5–0 Nottingham Forest". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  149. Polden, Jake (31 October 2019). "Ian Wright hits nail on head with Ozil comment after he's subbed off by Emery". mirror. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  150. "Ozil – Q&A – Interviews". FourFourTwo. June 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  151. Stevenson, Jonathan (23 June 2010). "Ghana 0–1 Germany". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  152. McNulty, Phil (27 June 2010). "Germany 4–1 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  153. "Germany stroll past Austria to reach EURO 2012". UEFA. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  154. "Die Top-Elf der EM-Qualifikation" (in German). Sportal.de. 6 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  155. "Statistics". UEFA. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  156. "Ozil to receive German POTY award". ESPN FC. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  157. "Fan Club wählt Mesut Özil zum "Nationalspieler des Jahres"" (in German). DFB. 5 January 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009.
  158. "Ozil to receive German POTY award". espnsoccernet.com. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  159. "Netherlands, Germany drawn in Euro "Group of Death"". Fox News Channel. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  160. "Germany 4–2 Greece". BBC. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  161. "Germany 1–2 Italy". BBC. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  162. "Carlsberg Man of the Match Award". UEFA. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  163. "Top scorers". FIFA. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  164. "Germany 2–1 Algeria". BBC. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  165. "Brazil 1–7 Germany". BBC. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  166. "Germany 1–0 Argentina". BBC Sport. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  167. "Michel Platini asked Mesut Ozil for his shirt during World Cup celebrations". 101 Great Goals. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  168. "Things Mesut Ozil did better than anybody else at World Cup". HITC Sport. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  169. Magowan, Alistair (12 June 2016). "Germany 2–0 Ukraine". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  170. "Özil MOTM". 21 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  171. Davie, Chris (26 June 2016). "Mesut Özil sets unwanted record after Germany penalty miss". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  172. Homewood, Brian; Ferris, Ken (3 July 2016). "Germany win epic shootout to end Italy jinx". Reuters. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  173. "Germany seal dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Italy". RTÉ Sport. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  174. "Germany announce final World Cup squad, with Manuel Neuer, without Leroy Sané". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  175. Squawka Football [@Squawka] (22 July 2018). "Mesut Özil created more chances per 90 minutes (5.5) at the 2018 World Cup than any other player to play at least 90 minutes at the tournament. 11 created in total in 180 minutes of football" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  176. "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder quits Germany over 'racism and disrespect'". BBC Sport. 23 July 2018.
  177. "Özil and Gundogan's Erdogan photos cause German furore". BBC. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  178. "Erdogan taunts Germany with Nazi comparison". BBC. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  179. "Germany block Erdogan rally in Hamburg". DW. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  180. Oltermann, Philip (16 May 2018). "Özil and Gündoğan's Erdoğan picture causes anger in Germany". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  181. "Bierhoff fährt Bommes wegen Özil und Gündogan an". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 8 June 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  182. "Mesut Özil tritt aus der Nationalmannschaft zurück" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  183. "Özil speaks, defends meeting with Turkish president and calls out DFB for double-standards". BavarianFootball. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  184. "Doppelmoral-Debatte: Lothar Matthäus erklärt seine Fotos mit Wladimir Putin". Sportbuzzer (in German). 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  185. "Matthäus bekommt Shitstorm nach Putin-Foto – und schlägt zurück". huffingtonpost.de (in German). 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  186. Bryant, Tom (22 July 2018). "Mesut Ozil walks away from Germany team citing 'racism and disrespect'". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  187. Özil, Mesut [@MesutOzil1088] (22 July 2018). "The past couple of weeks have given me time to reflect, and time to think over the events of the last few months. Consequently, I want to share my thoughts and feelings about what has happened" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 July 2018 via Twitter.
  188. "Mertesacker springt seinem alten Freund Özil zur Seite". Nordwest-Zeitung (in German). 12 July 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  189. "The quiet genius of Mesut Özil". Deutsche Welle. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  190. "Mesut Ozil on the art of being the playmaker". FourFourTwo. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  191. Gannon, Willie (14 November 2013). "5 Things Arsenal's Mesut Ozil Does Better Than Andrea Pirlo". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  192. JJ Bull (13 October 2016). "How Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are taking Arsenal back to the days of Henry and Bergkamp". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  193. "The False-10". Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  194. "Introducing...the central winger?". zonalmarking.net. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  195. Markus Hanfler (14 October 2013). "Ozil playing as a False 9: Could Germany be a model for Arsenal?". hitc.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  196. Marioni, Massimo (4 September 2013). "Jose Mourinho: Mesut Ozil is the best no.10 in the world". Metro. UK. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  197. Ellison, Joe (4 February 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Andrea Pirlo's Current Premier League XI". ShortList. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  198. Sarad Bade Shrestha (26 May 2016). "Euro 2016's Top 50 Players: Number 13 Mesut Ozil". HITC.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  199. "Consistency the key for last season's pass master Ozil". Premier League. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  200. Wright, David (10 September 2014). "Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil 'proud' of assist record since £42.5m Emirates move". Daily Express. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  201. Nicholas P. Wright (13 September 2017). "Are criticisms of Mesut Ozil fair? The stats on his Arsenal role and record". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  202. Orr, James (3 November 2015). "Mesut Ozil is the assist king, Jamie Vardy deserves England start, Manchester United not creating chances – five things we learnt from the Premier League". The Independent. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  203. Long, Sam (7 December 2015). "Arsenal star Mesut Ozil on course to smash Thierry Henry's Premier League record". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  204. OptaJoe (24 October 2015). "2.71 – Mesut Özil has the best games/assist rate in @PremierLeague history – average one every 2.71 matches. (min. 20 assists) Provider". Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  205. Horeni, Michael (16 June 2010). "Unser Messi ist Özil". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). p. 2. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  206. Liew, Jonathan (9 March 2014). "Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger calls on Mesut Özil to concentrate on scoring as German whirs back into life". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  207. "Hiddink verflucht, Özil gefeiert" (in German). derstandard.at. 12 October 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  208. Duchateau, Francois (10 February 2011). "Trotz 'genialer Momente': Enttäuschung bei Mesut Özil und Lukas Podolski" (in German). Goal.com. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  209. Lowe, Sid (3 April 2011). "Real Madrid find 'Nemo' to their liking as Mesut Ozil settles in well". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  210. "Gullit: "Özil is technically perfect"". Marca. Spain. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  211. "Özil will be "devastating" says Lahm". 26 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  212. Kamp, Christian (5 January 2016). "Wenn ich Groll hatte – dann auf mich". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  213. "Today's Player of the Week: Mesut Özil". 15 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  214. Keh, Andrew (28 January 2010). "Budding Germany Star Borrows Qualities From His Two Cultures". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  215. "Ozil out to upstage Messi". FIFA. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  216. "Ozil flattered by 'German Zidane' label". ESPN. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  217. "'Nemo' y su pandilla". Marca (in Spanish). Spain. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  218. White, Duncan (12 June 2010). "Germany v Australia: Mesut Ozil at head of the vanguard for new generation". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
  219. Smith, Andrew (27 June 2010). "Mesut Özil: National Treasure". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  220. Welty, Ute (23 June 2018). "Wo Manuel Neuer und Mesut Özil die Schulbank drückten". Deutschlandfunk Kultur. Deutschlandradio. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  221. "Geht Özil dem DFB von der Fahne?". Sport1 (in German). 15 December 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  222. "German Turks set for face-off on football pitch". Hürriyet Daily News. 10 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  223. Ilgun, Yasin Madyb (9 April 2013). "'I will always be Turkish' – Why Ozil is worshipped in Istanbul". goal.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  224. "Mesut Özil'in hayali Barça" (in Turkish). Sabah. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  225. Coggin, Stewart. "Mesut Ozil Profile". worldsoccer.about.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2014. Ozil, a third-generation member of the Kurdish community in Germany
  226. Ergan, Uğur (15 July 2010). "Mesut Barzani'den Mesut Özil'e davet" [Invitation to Mesut Özil from Mesut Barzani]. Hürriyet Daily News (in Turkish). Retrieved 28 July 2018. The Peyamner News Agency, known for its closeness to the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Barzani, announced that he invited Mesut Özil to Northern Iraq, stating that his family had Diyarbakırish and Kurdish origin.
  227. Rosentritt, Michael (2 July 2010). "Mesut Özil: Ich habe nie Angst" [Mesut Özil: I am never afraid]. Der Tagesspiegel (in German). TAGESSPIEGEL: Ihre Art sich direkt vor einem Spiel zu konzentrieren ist es, Verse aus dem Koran leise vor sich hin zu sprechen. MESUT ÖZIL: Das mache ich in der Kabine, bevor wir rausgehen. Ich bete dann und meine Mitspieler wissen schon, dass sie in dieser kurzen Zeit nicht mit mir reden können.
  228. Singh, Amar (27 August 2011). "'My manager told me to choose between fasting or playing – I chose to fast' – how Muslim footballers including Mesut Ozil and Amr Zaki approach Ramadan". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  229. "Mesut Ozil visits Muslim holy city Mecca ahead of Euro 2016". Squawka. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  230. "German Muslim footballer Mesut Ozil kisses bread thrown at him by Atletico Madrid fans". The News. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  231. "Soccer stars steal show at Germany's Bambi Awards". Reuters. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  232. "Mandy Capristo splits from Mesut Ozil after his affair". Mid-day. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  233. "Arsenal star Mesut Ozil pictured with former girlfriend in Berlin after rumoured split last year". Mirror. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  234. "Arsenal's Mesut Ozil rekindles relationship with ex-girlfriend Mandy Capristo?". Sports Mole. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  235. "Mesut Ozil gets super close to former Miss Turkey, Amine Gulse". 28 June 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  236. "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder and fiancee to fund surgery for 1,000 children". BBC Sport. 7 June 2019.
  237. "Mesut Ozil wedding: Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan best man at marriage of Arsenal star and new wife Amine Gulse". The Independent. 8 June 2019.
  238. Meade, Sam (30 March 2020). "Mesut Ozil and wife welcome baby daughter as Arsenal star reveals adorable name". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  239. "Arsenal's Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac face carjacking gang". BBC News. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  240. "Arsenal's Sead Kolašinac and Mesut Ozil 'fine' after carjacking attempt". BBC. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  241. "Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac out of Arsenal's Newcastle trip over security fears". BBC. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  242. "Mesut Özil: Two charged after incident at Arsenal star's home". BBC. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  243. Vigdor, Neil (15 December 2019). "Soccer Broadcast Pulled After Arsenal Star Mesut Özil Criticized China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  244. Ames, Nick (13 December 2019). "Arsenal distance themselves from Mesut Özil comments on Uighurs' plight". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  245. Sarigul, Emre (13 December 2019). "Arsenal Star Mesut Ozil Slams Chinese Treatment Of On Uyghur Minority On Social Media". Turkish Football. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  246. "China TV pulls Arsenal game after Mesut Özil's Uighur comments". DW.com. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  247. "Chinese TV pulls Arsenal match after Ozil's Uighur comments". France 24. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  248. Aaro, David (15 December 2019). "Soccer star Mesut Özil criticizes Muslim detention camp, spurs Chinese TV to pull match". Fox News Channel. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  249. "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal-Manchester City game removed from schedules by China state TV". 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  250. Freij, Muath (19 May 2016). "Mesut Ozil gives joy to Zaatari camp children". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  251. "Arsenal news: Charity thanks 'class' Ozil for making dream come true for child with brain tumour". Goal.com. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  252. "Mesut Ozil switches to the Three Stripes!". Footballboots.co.uk. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  253. "Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and Mesut Ozil star in exciting new Adidas advert". Daily Mirror. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  254. "Mesut Özil Launches His Own Logo". Footballboots.co.uk. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  255. "Manchester United's Paul Pogba dab, Arsenal's Mesut Ozil dummy and the best Fifa 17 celebrations". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  256. "REVEALED: The heartwarming meaning behind Ozil's 'M' celebration". Goal. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  257. "Arsenal's Mesut Özil was called a 'coward' by Jose Mourinho in blistering dressing-room row at Real Madrid". The Independent. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  258. Özil, Mesut (March 2017). Gunning for Greatness: My Life: With an introduction by Jose Mourinho. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1-4736-4994-1.
  259. "Mesut Özil". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  260. "Mesut Özil". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  261. "Mesut Özil". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  262. "Mesut Özil". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  263. "Mesut Özil". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  264. "M. Özil". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  265. "Mesut Özil". European Football. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  266. "Mesut Özil – national football team player". EU-Football.info. 4 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  267. "M. Özil". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  268. McNulty, Phil (17 May 2014). "Arsenal 3–2 Hull City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  269. McNulty, Phil (30 May 2015). "Arsenal 4–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  270. McNulty, Phil (27 May 2017). "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  271. Cryer, Andy (2 August 2015). "Arsenal 1–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  272. McNulty, Phil (25 February 2018). "Arsenal 0–3 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  273. Bevan, Chris (29 May 2019). "Chelsea 4–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  274. Gartenschläger, Lars (6 June 2013). "Khedira, Özil, Neuer – Aufstieg der Euro-Helden". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  275. "Germany 1–0 Argentina". FIFA. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  276. "Team-of-the-Season-1" (PDF). Historical Lineups. p. 13. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  277. "Lahm zieht an Robben vorbei". kicker Online (in German). 7 June 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  278. "Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil wins Germany player of the year award". The Guardian. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  279. "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder wins Germany's Player of the Year for fifth time". BBC Sport. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  280. "UEFA EURO 2012 Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  281. "UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2012". UEFA. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  282. "UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2013 revealed". UEFA. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  283. "FifPro announces reserve Teams of the Year – but Luis Suarez and Arjen Robben won't be laughing while Iker Casillas is somehow named the second best goalkeeper of 2013". The Independent. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  284. "2016 World 11: the reserve teams – FIFPro World Players' Union". FIFPro.org. 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  285. "FIFA FIFPro World XI: the reserve teams – FIFPro World Players' Union". FIFPro.org. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  286. "2016–2017 World 11: the Reserve Teams – FIFPro World Players' Union". FIFPro.org. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  287. "Ozil wins Laureus Sports award". Kick Off.com.
  288. "Mesut Ozil receives honourary prize". Arsenal F.C.
  289. "THE WORLD'S BEST PLAYMAKER 2013". IFFHS. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  290. "Ozil named PFA Fans' Player of the Month". Arsenal F.C.
  291. "Ozil wins PFA Fans' award". Sky Sports.com.
  292. "Mesut Özil: Winner of the German Football Ambassador Public Award". DW via YouTube.
  293. "Arsenal's Mesut Özil voted 'Best German Abroad' by Kicker Magazine". 101 Great Goals.com.
  294. "Player of the Season – the winner is..." Arsenal Football Club. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  295. "Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo up for Best Player Award". UEFA. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  296. "FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014–voting results" (PDF). FIFA. 12 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  297. "1. Bundesliga: alle Topscorer der Saison 2009/10". Kicker (in German). Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  298. "Statistics". Planet World Cup. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  299. "Statistics". UEFA. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  300. "LIGA BBVA Player Statistics". WhoScored. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  301. "UEFA EURO 2012 Statistics". UEFA. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  302. "2015/16 Season Review". Premier League. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.