![]() Özil in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Mesut Özil[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | [2] | 15 October 1988|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Gelsenkirchen, West Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005 | Schalke 04 II | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2008 | Schalke 04 | 30 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008–2010 | Werder Bremen | 71 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2013 | Real Madrid | 105 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013–2021 | Arsenal | 184 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021–2022 | Fenerbahçe | 32 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022–2023 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 427 | (73) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2007 | Germany U19 | 11 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2009 | Germany U21 | 16 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2018 | Germany | 92 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Mesut Özil (German pronunciation: [ˈmeːzut ˈøːzil], Turkish: [meˈsut œˈzil]; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders and playmakers of his generation.[4][5][6] He could also play as a wide midfielder.
Born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Özil began his senior club career playing for hometown club Schalke 04, before signing with Werder Bremen in 2008, aged 19. After winning the DFB-Pokal in his first season, his individual performances led to a move to Real Madrid in 2010.[7] There, he helped the club win a La Liga title, and ranked first in league assists for three straight seasons.[8] In 2013, Özil signed for Arsenal in a transfer worth up to £42.5 million (€50 million), becoming the most expensive German player ever at the time. It was also a club-record transfer fee for Arsenal until 2017.[9] In England, he won four FA Cups and helped end Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought, while recording the second most assists ever (19) in a Premier League season. In 2021, Özil joined Fenerbahçe on a free transfer; after his contract with the club was terminated in 2022, he signed with İstanbul Başakşehir, before retiring in 2023.
A German international for over nine years,[10] Özil holds the record for the most German National Team Player of the Year awards (5). He made his senior debut for the Germany national team in 2009 at age 20, and appeared in five major tournaments. He was the top assist provider at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, where he helped Germany twice reach the semi-final. Özil helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but retired from international competition in 2018, alleging discrimination and disrespect by the German Football Association (DFB) and the German media.
Early life
Özil[11] was born on 15 October 1988[12] in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, as a son of Turkish immigrants.[13] His grandfather moved as a Gastarbeiter from Zonguldak, Turkey to West Germany.[14] He played, at youth level, for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen during 1995–2000, before a five-year stint for Rot-Weiss Essen.[citation needed]
Club career
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 DFL-Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.[15] 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.[16] This led to Mirko Slomka, the then-Schalke manager, claiming that Özil would not play another match for Schalke.[17]
Werder Bremen
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.[18] 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 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.[citation needed]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Mesut_%C3%96zil_Werder_Bremen.jpg/170px-Mesut_%C3%96zil_Werder_Bremen.jpg)
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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[19]
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.[21] 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. 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".[22]
Real Madrid
2010–11: Debut season, European assist leader
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Mesut_ozil_v_drese_realu_madrid.jpg/170px-Mesut_ozil_v_drese_realu_madrid.jpg)
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.[23] 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.[24][25] The transfer fee is believed to have been in the region of €15 million.[26] 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."[27]
Özil made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3–1.[28] 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.[citation needed]
Özil was brought in to back up teammate Kaká, but due to the latter's 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.[29]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Mesut_%C3%96zil_and_Daniele_Bonera.jpg/220px-Mesut_%C3%96zil_and_Daniele_Bonera.jpg)
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.[30]
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.[31] Özil's first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010.[32] On 22 December, he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, scoring once in an 8–0 victory over Levante.[33]
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.[34][35]
2011–12: La Liga win
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.[36] On 14 August 2011, Özil scored his first goal against Barcelona in El Clásico in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España.[37] 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.[38] 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."[39]
Özil was on the short-list of the FIFA Ballon d'Or award.[40]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Mesut_Oezil_Boots_Santiago_Bernabeu.jpg/220px-Mesut_Oezil_Boots_Santiago_Bernabeu.jpg)
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.[41] 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.[42]
2012–13: Third straight La Liga assist leader
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.[43] 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.[44] 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.[45] 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.[46] 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.[citation needed]
Arsenal
On 2 September 2013, Özil agreed to join English side Arsenal.[47] 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.[48] The transfer makes him the most expensive German football player of all time.[49] Özil was assigned the number 11 shirt and the centre-attacking midfield role by the team.[50] 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.[51]
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."[52] 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."[53] 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."[54]
2013–14: Ending the trophy drought
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Mesut_%C3%96zil_%289881761465%29_Cropped.jpg/180px-Mesut_%C3%96zil_%289881761465%29_Cropped.jpg)
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.[55] Three days after that, he made his Champions League debut for Arsenal against Marseille.[56] 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.[57] 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.[58] On 19 October, he scored his first two Premier League goals during the 4–1 home win against Norwich City.[59] 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.[53]
In October, Özil was again short-listed for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award, along with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.[60] 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.[61][62]
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.[53]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Mesut_Ozil_%2812652993255%29.jpg/170px-Mesut_Ozil_%2812652993255%29.jpg)
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."[53]
On 8 March, Özil scored his first goal of 2014 in a 4–1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton.[63] Özil was showing signs of old form and started in Arsenal's second leg Champions League last 16 clash with Bayern Munich.[64] 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.[65]
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.[66][67] 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.[68] 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."[69]
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.[70] 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."[71] Özil completed his maiden season at Arsenal with 13 assists and seven goals in all competitions spanning a course of 40 games.[72]
2014–15: Second FA Cup victory
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Chelsea_2_Arsenal_0_%2815272560680%29.jpg/170px-Chelsea_2_Arsenal_0_%2815272560680%29.jpg)
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.[73] 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.[74] 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.[75]
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.[76] 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.[77] 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.[78] The following week, Özil scored the opening goal in the Gunners' 2–1 North London derby defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane.[79] He continued his good form by creating both goals in a 2–1 victory over Leicester City on 10 February.[80] He also grabbed a pair of assists two weeks later, in a 2–0 victory against Everton.[81] 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.[82] After a 3–1 win over Hull, manager Arsène Wenger praised him by saying, "Overall his influence was very strong."[83]
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.[84] 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.[85][86]
2015–16: Premier League assist leader
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Mesut_%C3%96zil_2015.jpg/220px-Mesut_%C3%96zil_2015.jpg)
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.[87] 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.[88]
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.[89] 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.[90][91] 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.[92]
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.[93] 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.[94] He then scored for the second game in a row when he clipped in the opener in a 1–1 draw at Norwich.[95] 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.[96][97]
On 24 January 2016, Özil played his 100th game for the Gunners in a 1–0 home defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League.[98] 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.[99] 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.[100] He then ended the Gunners' barren goal-scoring run in the Premier League with the opener against Bournemouth in a 2–0 away win on 7 February.[101] 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.[102]
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.[103] 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.[104]
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.[105] 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.[106][107]
2016–17: Third FA Cup win
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.[108] His second arrived just under a month later, netting a controlled volley in a 3–0 home win against Chelsea.[109] On 15 October, Özil again scored a volley at home, as he recorded the decider in a tense 3–2 win against Swansea.[110] 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.[111] 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.[112] For his performances, he was awarded the club's Player of the Month award for the month of October.[citation needed]
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.[113] 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.[114][115] 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.[116] 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.[117] 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.[118] 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.[citation needed]
He returned to fitness to star in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City on 2 April, where he assisted the equaliser.[119] He would also break his 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.[120] He then scored another volley just under two weeks later, in a win against Middlesbrough.[121] He then recorded his ninth assist on 10 May, where he set up Sánchez's opener.[122] In the last three league gameweeks, he scored his final goal of the season against Stoke City,[123] while his final two assists arrived in the following two weeks, against both Sunderland and Everton.[124][125] 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.[citation needed]
2017–19: Contract extension, UEFA Europa League runner-up
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/%C3%96zil_Arsenal.jpg/170px-%C3%96zil_Arsenal.jpg)
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.[126][127] His performance in the North London Derby on 18 November was heavily praised, after creating the first goal.[128] 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.[129][130]
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.[131][132] A day later, he re-signed with the club on a three-year extension, keeping him contracted until 2021.[133] It was also reported his salary more than doubled to £350,000 per week, making him the highest-paid player in Arsenal's history.[134][135][136]
On 15 February, Özil scored in the first knockout round of the Europa League, netting calmly against Östersund.[137] He then gained a brace of assists in the next round, against Milan.[138] 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.[139] He continued his exploits in the Europa League by recording a hat-trick of assists in a victory against CSKA Moscow on 5 April.[140] 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.[citation needed]
Following the departure of Jack Wilshere, Özil returned to wearing the number 10, for the 2018–19 season.[141] He was also named one of Arsenal's vice-captains.[142] Özil scored his first goal of the season in Arsenal's 2–1 away win over Newcastle on 15 September,[143] and netted again a week later in a 4–2 victory in the UEFA Europa League over Vorskla Poltava.[144] He scored his third goal of the season in a victory over Watford on 28 September.[145] 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.[146]
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.[147] 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.[148][149] 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, who publicly questioned the player's motivation.[150][151][152] He returned to goalscoring form in a 5–1 home victory against Bournemouth, where he also registered an assist, on 27 February,[153] while his last statistical contribution came in the form of a goal in a loss against Crystal Palace in April.[154] As a result, he registered one of his worst statistical campaigns as an Arsenal player, netting six goals and providing four assists.[citation needed]
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,[155] and continued to be linked with a move away from north London.[156]
2019–21: Limited gametime, squad exclusion
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, in a 2–2 draw against Watford.[157] 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 an EFL Cup tie against Nottingham Forest, where he again failed to complete 90 minutes.[158] Özil made his third appearance of the season in an EFL Cup tie defeat against Liverpool in October.[159] He registered his first assist against Liverpool in the same competition at the end of October,[160] and subsequently returning to the league starting lineup for November; he registered his first league assist in a 2–1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in December.
Özil only completed 90 minutes once more in the league for the remainder of the campaign, scoring his first goal of the season in a 4–0 victory over Newcastle United on 16 February 2020.[161] He registered his second league assist against West Ham United on 7 March,[162] but did not feature for the club again following the resumption of competitive football after its suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[163] As a result, Özil registered his worst statistical season, as well making the lowest number of appearances in a campaign since the 2007–08 season. It was also reported Özil refused a voluntary 12.5% paycut amid the pandemic, doing so as the club "[lacked] information and [left] many questions unanswered" over their use of these wages.[164]
Özil was left out of the match-day squads for the first matches of the 2020–21 season and was not included in the club's squad for the Europa League group stage.[165] It was also later confirmed that Özil was omitted from Arsenal's 25-man Premier League squad,[166] leaving him eligible only to play for Arsenal's U-23 squad.[167] Özil released a statement on Twitter in which he said that he was "deeply disappointed" but would "continue fighting for [his] chance".[168] Some had suggested Özil's omission from the squad was related to his criticism of the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China,[169][170] from which Arsenal publicly distanced themselves.[171][172]
Fenerbahçe
"I am very excited because I was always a fan of Fenerbahçe. A dream has come true for me. That's why I'm very excited to wear the jersey. I hope I will be successful with my teammates. I hope everything will be fine. I wish the best."
Mesut Özil, [173]
On 27 January 2021, Özil moved to Turkish club Fenerbahçe.[174] He joined as a free agent after his contract with Arsenal was terminated six months prematurely, with the player reportedly forgoing part of the £7 million (€7.9 million) owed to him by Arsenal.[175] Although financial terms were undisclosed, Özil signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Fenerbahçe worth a reported £4.5 million (€5 million) a season, and received a £2.6 million (€3 million) signing-on bonus.[176][177]
Özil said he was "very excited" to be joining the club and would "wear the shirt with pride".[178][173][179][180] Fenerbahçe had wanted to sign Özil for years,[181][182][183] and chairman Ali Koç also commended the deal, noting they were unable to sign the player in 2019 due to financial concerns.[184][185] Özil had stated a desire to represent Fenerbahçe, the team he supported as a child[186][187][188][189] during his career,[183] as well as play in Major League Soccer (MLS), with Özil also engaging in negotiations with D.C. United prior to signing for Fenerbahçe.[190][191]
In his first season, Özil was assigned the number 67 jersey, in reference to the license plate of his ancestral town, Zonguldak, as his recognizable number 10, as well as his previous number 11, were occupied by Mbwana Samatta and Diego Perotti, respectively.[192] On 2 February, he made his Süper Lig debut for Fenerbahçe as a substitute for Mame Thiam in the 77th minute against Hatayspor, which Fenerbahçe won 2–1.[193] Özil missed eight games in his first season, from 4 March until 29 April, after rupturing ankle ligaments and contracting COVID-19.[194] He recorded his first assist for the club on 11 May in a 2–1 loss against Sivasspor, as Fenerbahçe eventually finished third.[195][196]
In his second season, Özil was assigned the number 10 jersey, his recognizable number. On 15 August, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away victory against Adana Demirspor, also captaining the team for the first time.[197] On 16 September, he scored his first European goal for Fenerbahçe in a UEFA Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt.[198][199][200] On 21 November, he scored an equaliser in the 31st minute, sprinting from the halfway line to the penalty area, against Galatasaray in the Intercontinental Derby, which Fenerbahçe won 2–1 at Nef Stadium.[201][202][203][204]
On 24 March 2022, Fenerbahçe announced that he was excluded from squad, along with his teammate Ozan Tufan.[205][206] Özil completed his second season at Fenerbahçe with 9 goals and 2 assists in 26 games in all competitions. On 13 July, his contract with Fenerbahçe was mutually terminated.[207]
İstanbul Başakşehir and retirement
On 14 July 2022, Özil signed a one-year contract with an option for an additional year with İstanbul Başakşehir.[208] On 21 August 2022, he made his debut for İstanbul Başakşehir in a Süper Lig game against Kayserispor, as a substitute for Berkay Özcan in the 80th minute, which İstanbul Başakşehir won 2–0.[209]
Özil left the club and announced his retirement from professional football on 22 March 2023,[210] citing recurrent injuries.[211] Özil made 427 top-flight appearances in his club career.[212]
International career
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Mesut_%C3%96zil.jpg/170px-Mesut_%C3%96zil.jpg)
Eligible to play for either Germany[21] or Turkey,[213] after long consideration,[214][215][216] Özil chose to play for his country of birth, Germany.[217] 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.[16]
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.[218]
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.[219] 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.[220]
UEFA Euro 2012
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Jerome_Boateng_2011_Germany.jpg/210px-Jerome_Boateng_2011_Germany.jpg)
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.[221] Özil also confirmed his reputation as a decisive passer, as he provided seven assists, more than any European international during Euro 2012 qualification.[222][223] 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."[224]
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.[225][226] Özil's Germany were drawn with the Netherlands, Denmark and Portugal into Group B at Euro 2012, widely touted as the "Group of Death".[227]
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.[228] He then scored Germany's only goal (a penalty) in their 2–1 loss to Italy in the semi-finals.[229] 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 Team of the Tournament.[230]
2014 FIFA World Cup
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Award_ceremony_of_the_World_Cup_in_Brazil_07.jpg/220px-Award_ceremony_of_the_World_Cup_in_Brazil_07.jpg)
Özil ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as Germany's top scorer with eight goals.[231]
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.[232] 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.[233]
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.[234] 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.[235] 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).[236]
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.[237] 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.[238] 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.[239] 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.[240] 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.[241]
2018 FIFA World Cup
Özil was selected by manager Joachim Löw in Germany's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[242] 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 created per 90 minutes (5.5) than any other player in the competition.[243]
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 German nation.[244][245][246][247] The German Football Association (DFB) publicly distanced themselves from public criticism,[248] opting to end the debate,[249] and focus on the upcoming World Cup campaign, in which both Özil and Gündoğan participated.[250]
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.[251] 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, noting the relative lack of uproar from the media after Lothar Matthäus met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.[252][253][254]
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.[255] He then retired from the team as a form of protest against members within the Federation in which he perceived had "racially discriminative backgrounds".[256] Following the announcement of his retirement, Özil drew support and criticism from the public, former players, and managers; former teammate Per Mertesacker came out in support.[257] Toni Kroos was critical of Özil's statement and responded by saying that "racism within the national team and the DFB does not exist".[258] In a 2018 interview with Germany's biggest newspaper Bild am Sonntag, former DFB president Reinhard Grindel said he wished he had stood by Özil in the face of racial abuse.[259][260] In the years following his retirement, some media outlets continued to highlight how Özil was a victim of the deep rooted racism present in German society.[261][262][263] During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the German national team covered their mouths prior to kickoff in protest of FIFAs decision to ban the OneLove armband; with the DFB explaining that the protest was meant to uphold values of diversity and mutual respect.[261][263] They were subsequently criticized and labelled by some as moral hypocrites for previously ignoring and/or failing to uphold values of diversity and mutual respect when Özil was subjected to racial abuse in Germany.[261][263]
Player profile
Style of play
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Ozil_-_Flickr_-_Jan_S0L0_%287%29.jpg/220px-Ozil_-_Flickr_-_Jan_S0L0_%287%29.jpg)
A quick, agile, creative and technical player, with good dribbling skills,[6][264][265] Özil was a versatile midfielder, who excelled in an advanced playmaking role,[6][266] as a winger on either flank, or as an attacking midfielder through the centre of the pitch.[267][268] 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;[269][270] he was also deployed in a more advanced role, where he usually functioned as a second striker, as he often dropped into deeper positions, from which he could link the midfield with the attack and initiate passing moves.[268] He even played as a centre-forward on occasion, seemingly operating as a lone striker, but actually operating false 9 role.[271] An elegant left-footed player, his main attributes were his vision,[272][273][274] his control, movement (both on and off the ball), positional sense, finesse, passing range, and accurate crossing ability, as well as his delivery from set-pieces,[267][274][275][276][277] which allowed him to get into good attacking positions, create chances, and provide many assists for his teammates, or even score goals himself.[278][279]
Due to his creative ability and offensive prowess as a playmaker, Özil was called "assist-king" in the media.[274][280][281] As of January 2016, Özil had the best ratio of assists per game in the history of the Premier League.[282][non-primary source needed] 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."[283][284] In the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium, he scored a goal which has been described as a "work of art".[16][285] Germany coach Joachim Löw hails Özil for his "genius moments" and his performance without the ball.[286]
Reception
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Germany_and_Argentina_face_off_in_the_final_of_the_World_Cup_2014_-2014-07-13_%2822%29.jpg/220px-Germany_and_Argentina_face_off_in_the_final_of_the_World_Cup_2014_-2014-07-13_%2822%29.jpg)
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."[287] Assistant coach of the Germany national team Hansi 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."[224] 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".[288] Former Germany teammate Phillip Lahm said of Özil "His vision is probably the best I have ever seen... He is a dream for strikers.",[289] while Mario Gómez called Özil "probably the most brilliant footballer we have or ever had".[290] Despite his reputation as an offensive playmaker, Özil also drew criticism at times for his lack of physicality and his low defensive work-rate off the ball.[274] Despite his success, he was also accused by some in the sport, including Glenn Hoddle, Raymond Domenech and Jonathan Smith, of going missing in important or physical games.[291][292][293]
His nicknames have included "der Rabe" (the Raven, or in Spanish, "El Cuervo") – playing on his smart and opportunistic style of play,[294] and at Werder Bremen "der neue Diego" (the new Diego), in reference to Brazilian Diego, whose playmaker role he inherited,[295] "German Messi"[296] and "German Zidane".[297] At Real Madrid, he was supposedly called "Nemo", due to his physical appearance – in reference to the clownfish from the animated film Finding Nemo.[287][298]
Outside football
Personal life
Özil is a third-generation Turkish-German,[299] 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."[300] The first language Özil learned was Turkish. Instead of a regular kindergarten, he attended a special preschool (Vorbereitungsschule) populated exclusively with children of immigrants, mostly Turkish.[301] Özil later said this actually greatly hindered his acquisition of German, as the children would speak German exclusively with the teacher and only Turkish for the rest of the time, saying in 2017: "even today, I need to concentrate when speaking German".[302] He later attended school at Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen.[303] Özil states his ancestors are ethnic Turks[304][305] from Devrek.[306] However, there are sources that claim Özil's ancestors are ethnic Kurds.[307][308] Despite being born and raised in Germany, Özil only held Turkish citizenship until the age of 19, when he renounced it in order to naturalize as a German citizen, as Germany generally did not tolerate dual citizenship until 2024, particularly for Turkish citizens.[309]
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."[310] 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."[311] In May 2016, he performed Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.[312] 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, a central tenet in Islam. His gesture was later widely applauded throughout the stadium.[313]
In 2010, Özil was awarded the Bambi for being a prime example of successful integration within German society.[314]
Özil started dating singer Mandy Capristo in 2013.[315] The relationship ended in 2014, following reports of Özil being involved with another woman.[316] In 2015, Özil and Capristo appeared together at the Bambi awards ceremony in Berlin.[317] An Instagram photo uploaded by Özil used the hashtag #OziStoIsBack, suggesting that the couple is back together.[318] However, they broke up in 2017 and Özil began dating former Miss Turkey, Amine Gülşe.[319] They married in 2019, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was a witness during the ceremony.[320] In March 2020, the couple confirmed the birth of their first child, a daughter named Eda.[321] Their second daughter, named Ela, was born in September 2022.[322]
In July 2019, Özil and Arsenal teammate Sead Kolašinac were the victims of an attempted carjacking by a pair of armed masked men.[323] 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 reviewed security measures with their players with help from independent experts and the police,[324] which resulted in the pair not being included in Arsenal's Premier League season opener against Newcastle United on 11 August.[325] 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.[326]
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."[327]
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.[328] After getting married in June 2019, Özil paid for 1,000 children to have surgery in celebration.[327]
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.[329] In 2020, after Arsenal made longterm mascot Jerry Quy redundant, Özil offered to reimburse Arsenal for his salary if they rehired Quy, doing so due to their close friendship.[330]
In Ramadan 2021, Özil sent food packages to 41 provinces in Turkey to people in need, in collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent.[331][332]
Activism and advocacy
In December 2019, Özil went online to publish a poem denouncing the treatment of Uyghurs in China.[333][334] It 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 internment camps.[169][170][335] Arsenal later released a statement distancing itself from the comments.[336] State broadcasters China Central Television and PP Sports responded two days later by removing the match between Arsenal and Manchester City from their schedules, while his likeness was removed from Chinese internet providers and version of eFootball PES 2020.[337] The Chinese Football Association said Özil's comments were "unacceptable".[338][337] Some have suggested Özil's eventual omission from the Arsenal squad was related to such criticism.[172][171] China's government later stated Özil was "blinded and misled", and invited him to visit Xinjiang.[339][340]
In October 2020, he voiced his support for Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, quoting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the Azerbaijani–Turkish relations.[341][342] During his presentation as a Fenerbahçe player, he posed with the Azerbaijani flag.[343]
He announced his support for Palestine in the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, also wearing a "Free Palestine" T-shirt along with other Fenerbahçe footballers.[344][345][346] In October 2021, Özil teamed with the Football Association (FA) and Football for Peace to launch a development center, located at the University of Bradford, to tackle the disparity of British Asians in association football. Quoting his own background, Özil stated a desire to "give [British Asians] an opportunity to be successful on and off the pitch".[347]
Media and sponsorships
In 2013, Özil signed a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas.[348] 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.[349] In 2013, Özil launched his own logo.[350]
Özil's "M" goal celebration – which is in tribute to his young niece Mira – is included in EA Sports' FIFA 17.[351][352]
His autobiography, The Magic of the Game / Gunning for Greatness, was released in 2017.[353][354]
Business ventures
Özil has built a varied business portfolio over the years. He is the boss of his own M10 streetwear firm and esports team. Additionally he has his own chain of coffee shops, a sports clinic and he jointly runs a successful Unity Health supplements laboratory with former Arsenal teammate Mathieu Flamini. He also owns shares in Mexican football club Necaxa as part of an ownership deal which includes other shareholders like actress Eva Longoria and model Kate Upton.[355]
Controversies
Allegations of tax fraud
In December 2016, as part of the release of the Football Leaks disclosure platform, it became known that the Spanish tax authorities had demanded back taxes of €2,017,152 from Mesut Özil. In addition, a fine of €789,963 was imposed on him.[356] According to the information published by Football Leaks, Özil is said to have evaded taxes using offshore shell companies, Swiss accounts and straw men.[357] In February 2017, Özil paid taxes in the required amount. He appealed the fine. At the beginning of 2018, the Spanish judiciary had not yet made a decision on the fine.[358]
Alleged support for far-right organization
In July 2023 a photo on Instagram was published showing a tattoo with three crescent moons and a howling wolf on Özil's chest, which are symbols of Turkish far-right ultranationalist group Grey Wolves. This group is alleged to be responsible for acts of violence and threats and is banned in France and being monitored by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution due to anti-constitutional efforts.[359][360][361][362]
Israel
One week after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the subsequent bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military, he posted the slogan Free Palestine on X (formerly Twitter).[363] After the Israeli airstrikes on Rafah, Özil shared numerous Instagram story templates, including one on 31 May 2024 showing a map on which the word "Israel" has been crossed out and replaced with "Palestine" in handwriting. This was interpreted as a wish for a dissolution of the state of Israel.[364] On July 30, 2024, Özil again published a post on Instagram showing a map on which Israel is completely removed and replaced by Palestine.[365]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Schalke 04 II | 2005–06 | Oberliga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
Schalke 04 | 2006–07 | Bundesliga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
2007–08 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
Total | 30 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |||
Werder Bremen | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |||
2008–09 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 14[e] | 0 | — | 47 | 5 | |||
2009–10 | Bundesliga | 31 | 9 | 5 | 0 | — | 10[f] | 2 | — | 46 | 11 | |||
2010–11 | Bundesliga | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
Total | 71 | 13 | 11 | 2 | — | 26 | 2 | — | 108 | 17 | ||||
Real Madrid | 2010–11 | La Liga | 36 | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | 11[d] | 1 | — | 53 | 10 | ||
2011–12 | La Liga | 35 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 2 | 2[g] | 1 | 52 | 7 | ||
2012–13 | La Liga | 32 | 9 | 8 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 1 | 2[g] | 0 | 52 | 10 | ||
2013–14 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
Total | 105 | 19 | 19 | 3 | — | 31 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 159 | 27 | |||
Arsenal | 2013–14 | Premier League | 26 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | — | 40 | 7 | |
2014–15 | Premier League | 22 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 5 | |
2015–16 | Premier League | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[d] | 2 | 1[h] | 0 | 45 | 8 | |
2016–17 | Premier League | 33 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[d] | 4 | — | 44 | 12 | ||
2017–18 | Premier League | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7[f] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 | |
2018–19 | Premier League | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[f] | 1 | — | 35 | 6 | ||
2019–20 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | ||
2020–21 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 184 | 33 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 254 | 44 | ||
Fenerbahçe | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
2021–22 | Süper Lig | 22 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[f] | 1 | — | 26 | 9 | |||
Total | 32 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 37 | 9 | ||||
İstanbul Başakşehir | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[i] | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
Career total | 427 | 73 | 50 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 116 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 605 | 98 |
- ^ Includes DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey, FA Cup, Turkish Cup
- ^ Includes DFL-Ligapokal, Football League/EFL Cup
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup
- ^ a b c d e f g h Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances in UEFA Cup
- ^ a b c d e Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ a b Appearances in Supercopa de España
- ^ Appearance in FA Community Shield
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
International
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Germany | 2009 | 7 | 1 |
2010 | 14 | 2 | |
2011 | 9 | 5 | |
2012 | 13 | 6 | |
2013 | 9 | 3 | |
2014 | 10 | 1 | |
2015 | 8 | 0 | |
2016 | 13 | 3 | |
2017 | 5 | 1 | |
2018 | 4 | 1 | |
Total | 92 | 23 |
- Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Özil goal.[369]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 September 2009 | BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
2 | 23 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
3 | 8 October 2010 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
4 | 7 June 2011 | Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
5 | 2 September 2011 | Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany | ![]() |
2–0 | 6–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
6 | 4–1 | |||||
7 | 11 October 2011 | Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
8 | 15 November 2011 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany | ![]() |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
9 | 28 June 2012 | National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 |
10 | 7 September 2012 | AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
11 | 3–0 | |||||
12 | 11 September 2012 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
13 | 12 October 2012 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | ![]() |
3–0 | 6–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
14 | 16 October 2012 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany | ![]() |
4–0 | 4–4 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
15 | 10 September 2013 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
16 | 11 October 2013 | Rhein-Energie Stadion, Cologne, Germany | ![]() |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
17 | 15 October 2013 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | ![]() |
1–2 | 5–3 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
18 | 30 June 2014 | Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
19 | 29 March 2016 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | ![]() |
4–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
20 | 2 July 2016 | Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 |
21 | 31 August 2016 | Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
22 | 4 September 2017 | Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany | ![]() |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
23 | 2 June 2018 | Wörtherseestadion, Klagenfurt, Austria | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
Honours
Werder Bremen
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2011–12[373]
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11;[374] runner-up: 2012–13[375]
- Supercopa de España: 2012[376]
Arsenal
- FA Cup: 2013–14,[377] 2014–15,[378] 2016–17,[379] 2019–20
- FA Community Shield: 2015[380]
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18[381]
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19[382]
Germany U21
Germany
- FIFA World Cup: 2014;[384] third place: 2010[385]
Individual
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2008–09[386]
- kicker Attacking Midfielder of the Year: 2010[387]
- Bundesliga top assists provider: 2009-10[388]
- Laliga top assists provider: 2011-12[389]
- UEFA Europa League top assists provider: 2009-10[390]
- UEFA Champions League top assists provider: 2010-11[391][392]
- UEFA European Championship top assists provider: 2012[393]
- FIFA World Cup top assists provider: 2010[394]
- Most assists in the Premier League: 2015–16[395]
- German Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016[396][397]
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012[398]
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2012, 2013[399][400]
- Laureus Media Award: 2014[401][402]
- PFA Fans Player of the Month: April, November & December 2015[403][404]
- German Football Ambassador Public Award: 2015[405]
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 2015–16[406]
- kicker Best German Abroad: 2016[407]
References
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of players: Germany" (PDF). FIFA. 14 July 2014. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Mesut Özil". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020.
- ^ "The 11 best midfielders in the world". fourfourtwo.com. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ "10 Greatest Playmakers in Football Since 2006". 90min.com. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Mourinho: Ozil will make history at Real". espnstar.com. 26 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
- ^ "The top 10 assists leaders in Europe for 2010⁄11". imscouting.com. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "Spanish La Liga". ESPN Soccernat. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal sign Real Madrid midfielder for £42.4m". BBC Sport. 2 September 2013.
- ^ Mamrud, Roberto (21 July 2023). "Mesut Özil - Goals in International Matches". RSSSF.com. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Germany" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Immigration: the rare success story of Mesut Ozil". The Guardian. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ Beer, Jean-Julien (27 July 2006). "Ein 17-Jähriger soll Lincoln ersetzen". kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
- ^ a b c "Mesut Özil Bio". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Kurzpässe: Ewerthon nach Barcelona, Kuffour nach Amsterdam". Der Spiegel. 29 January 2008.
- ^ "Millionen-Deal: Bremen verpflichtet Schalker Özil". Der Spiegel. 31 January 2008.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Mesut Oezil". 4to40.com. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Mesut Özil". Real Madrid CF. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ "Sportschau.de: Wahl – Mesut Özil ist Spieler der Hinrunde" (in German). Sportschau. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009.
- ^ Gibson, Owen (22 October 2013). "Sir Alex Ferguson: 'Wayne Rooney wanted me to sign Mesut Özil'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ "Mesut Özil to Play for Real Madrid". Real Madrid CF. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ "Mesut Özil signs for Real Madrid". Real Madrid CF. 18 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010.
- ^ "Real Madrid confirm signing of Germany star Mesut Ozil". BBC Sport. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil Interview: Real Madrid's new star". ESPN Soccernet. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ Madden, Paul (22 August 2010). "Hercules 1–3 Real Madrid: Benzema Brace Seals Friendly Triumph". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lutz, Tom (19 October 2010). "Real Madrid v Milan – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ "Real Madrid vs Levante Report". Goal.com. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ "Praise for Mesut Ozil". Real Madrid CF. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil To Wear No.10 Shirt For Real Madrid in 2011–12". Goal.com. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- ^ "Real Madrid 2–2 Barcelona: All-square in thrilling Supercopa contest". Goal.com. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Ton-up Real set new landmark". ESPN Soccernet. 13 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo up for Best Player Award". UEFA. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil reiterates happiness". ESPN Soccernet. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ "Ronaldo, Messi share spoils in draw". ESPN FC. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
- ^ Lowe, Sid (6 November 2012). "Mesut Ozil saves Real Madrid with late goal against Borussia Dortmund". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Ozil nets 2 to give Madrid 3-2 win at Valladolid". independent.com.mt. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "German international Özil joins Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Ornstein, David (2 September 2013). "Mesut Özil: Arsenal sign Real Madrid midfielder for £42.4m". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "Arsenal smash club record to sign Mesut Özil". ESPN. 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (25 January 2016). "Mesut Ozil leaked contract reveals Real Madrid have buy-back option from Arsenal". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ^ Olley, James (3 September 2013). "'With Arsene Wenger's belief I can get even better' – Mesut Ozil". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Mesut Ozil". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ de Menezes, Jack (4 September 2013). "Transfer news: Cristiano Ronaldo 'angry' about Mesut Ozil's departure from Real Madrid despite Gareth Bale signing". Independent. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "Sunderland 1–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ^ Magowan, Alistair (18 September 2013). "Marseille 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ Magowan, Alistair (22 September 2013). "Arsenal 3–1 Stoke City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–0 Napoli – Match Report". Arsenal F.C. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ "Arsenal and Mesut Özil turn on style to sweep past Norwich City". The Guardian. London. 20 October 2013.
- ^ "Men's shortlists for FIFA Ballon d'Or 2013 revealed". FIFA. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ "Ozil apologises to Arsenal fans". ESPN. 14 December 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ Bevan, Chris (14 December 2013). "Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger plays down importance of Man City loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ "Arsenal v Everton: FA Cup – as it happened". The Guardian. 8 March 2014.
- ^ Cryer, Andy (11 March 2014). "Bayern Munich 1–1 Arsenal (agg 3–1)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ Ornstein, David (13 March 2014). "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal's record buy out for month with hamstring injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ "Özil returns at Hull". Arsenal F.C. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ "Lukas Podolski double eases Arsenal past Hull in FA Cup final rehearsal". The Guardian. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ Sheringham, Sam (28 April 2014). "Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "Wenger praises Özil's impact in Arsenal turnaround". Arsenal F.C. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (17 May 2014). "Arsenal 3–2 Hull". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ Mertesacker, Per (30 May 2014). "Praise from Mertesacker after Özil completes maiden Arsenal season". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
- ^ "Mesut Özil". ESPN FC. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Özil begins second season in England". Arsenal F.C. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- ^ "Özil assists for Arsenal in 4–1 win". BBC Sport. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Arsenal midfielder out with knee injury for up to 12 weeks". BBC Sport. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "Arsenal's Alexis Sánchez dazzles again with double in win over Stoke". The Guardian. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "Arsenal through after Brighton scare as Theo Walcott and Mesut Özil return". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ Dawkes, Phil (1 February 2015). "Arsenal 5–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ Dawkes, Phil (7 February 2015). "Tottenham 2–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ Dawkes, Phil (10 February 2015). "Arsenal 2–1 Leicester". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ Dawkes, Phil (1 March 2015). "Arsenal 2–0 Everton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (4 April 2015). "Arsenal 4–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Rob, Kelly (5 May 2015). "Wenger – Ozil's influence was so strong". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ 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 Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ 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 Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ "Mesut Özil". ESPN FC. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Hynter, David (10 August 2015). "West Ham capitalise on Petr Cech's debut errors to stun nervy Arsenal". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ "Arsenal 3–0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "Premier League: FT Watford 0–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ Chowdhury, Saj. "Watford 0–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ^ McNulty, Phil. "Arsenal 3–0 Dinamo Zagreb". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ Gheerbrant, James. "Norwich City 1–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–0 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Wright, Nick (28 December 2015). "Mesut Ozil in a league of his own as Arsenal beat Bournemouth". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ Sarigul, Emre (25 January 2016). "Mesut Ozil loses 100th game for Arsenal against Chelsea". Turkish Football. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ Brodie, Alex (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.
- ^ Davis, Callum (2 February 2016). "Arsenal 0 Southampton 0: Five things we learned". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ Higginson, Marc (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.
- ^ Ronay, Barney (14 February 2016). "Danny Welbeck's last-gasp effort gives Arsenal win over 10-man Leicester". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ^ Jackson, Jamie (28 February 2016). "Marcus Rashford's double for Manchester United deflates Arsenal hopes". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ Lowe, Sid (16 March 2016). "Luis Suárez acrobatics end Arsenal's unlikely resistance at Barcelona". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (15 May 2016). "Arsenal 4 Aston Villa 0: Hosts clinch unlikely St Totteringham's Day as Olivier Giroud grabs hat-trick". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ^ "Mesut Özil". ESPN FC. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ Karen, Mattias (20 May 2016). "Mesut Ozil named Arsenal's player of the season by fans". ESPN FC. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ "Watford 1–3 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 3–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 3–2 Swansea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 6–0 Ludogorets". Sky Sports. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ "Sunderland 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 1–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–3 Ludogorets". BBC Sport. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ "Özil stunner vs. Ludogorets". 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Basel 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 1–0 West Brom". BBC Sport. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–1 Burnley". BBC Sport. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–2 Man City". BBC Sport. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 3–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ "Middlesbrough 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Southampton 0–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Stoke City 1–4 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–0 Sunderland". BBC Sport. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 3–1 Everton". BBC Sport. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
- ^ "Everton 2–5 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–1 Swansea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–0 Sours". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 5–0 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 3–3 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "Arsenal 4–1 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ "Swansea 3–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder signs new contract until 2021". BBC Sport. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ Karen, Mattias (2 February 2018). "Wenger: Paying Ozil mega salary was 'cheapest option' for Arsenal". ESPN. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (31 January 2018). "Mesut Ozil agrees new £350,000-a-week deal to become Arsenal's highest paid player". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ Ornstein, David (31 January 2018). "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder signs new contract until 2021". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- ^ Lawrence, Amy (15 February 2018). "Mesut Özil strike seals Europa League win for Arsenal at Östersund". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ Lawrence, Amy (8 March 2018). "rsenal cast off gloom with Europa League first leg romp against Milan". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ Wright, Nick (12 March 2018). "Mesut Ozil brings up 50 Premier League assists in record time". Sky Sports. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ^ Johnston, Neil. "Arsenal 4-1 CSKA Moscow". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil proudly shows off his No. 10 shorts to Arsenal team-mate Alexandre Lacazette". Metro. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- ^ "Emery names Koscielny main captain". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Arsenal 4–2 Vorskla Polatva". BBC Sport. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–0 Watford". BBC Sport. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Emery backs Ozil, Arsenal to continue 'sexy football'". ESPN. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- ^ "Europa League Recap: Arsenal 1-0 Qarabag Highlights, Goals and Best Moments". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil set for January transfer to European club?". SportsJOE.ie. 11 September 2018.
- ^ Glendenning, Barry (3 December 2018). "Football transfer rumours: Mesut Özil to leave Arsenal for Inter?". The Guardian.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil transfer: Arsenal midfielder leaves complex legacy after years of ups and downs". Sky Sports. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ Steinberg, Jacob (13 January 2019). "Unai Emery knocks Mesut Özil off his star-status pedestal at Arsenal". The Guardian.
- ^ Wallace, Sam (27 January 2019). "Arsenal's indulging of Mesut Ozil has left manager Unai Emery short-changed". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Arsenal 5-1 Bournemouth: Gunners score five to stay in top four". BBC Sport. 28 February 2019.
- ^ "Arsenal 2-3 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 21 April 2019.
- ^ Verschueren, Gianni. "Report: Arsenal Exploring Mesut Ozil Sale; Player Insulted Manager Unai Emery". Bleacher Report.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Fenerbahce play down move for Arsenal midfielder". BBC Sport. 10 July 2019.
- ^ "Arsenal 2–2 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ "Arsenal 5–0 Nottingham Forest". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Liverpool beat Arsenal on penalties to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after 10 goals were scored in a thrilling contest at Anfield". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "Arsenal picked up just their seventh Premier League victory of the season with a confidence-boosting thrashing of Newcastle at Emirates Stadium". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Mikel Arteta says his Arsenal team are 'turning the corner' after a narrow win over West Ham boosted their hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ Hurley, Lee (27 September 2020). "Mikel Arteta on why Mesut Ozil isn't playing". TheDailyCannon. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil has defended his decision to refuse a pay cut at Arsenal during lockdown". The Independent. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- ^ Ames, Nick (8 October 2020). "Mesut Özil looks to have played last Arsenal game after European omission". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Ozil Omitted From Arsenal's Premier League Squad". beinsports.com. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ "'I failed with Ozil' - Arteta". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ @mesutozil1088 (21 October 2020). "This is a difficult message to write to the Arsenal fans that I've played for over the past few years" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "China TV pulls Arsenal game after Mesut Özil's Uighur comments". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Mesut Ozil, China and the failure to look closer to home". The Independent. 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b Ames, Nick (21 October 2020). "Arteta feels he has 'failed' with Özil after Arsenal playmaker hits out". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Ozil: I've always been a Fenerbahce fan, for me this is a dream come true". MARCA. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Futbolcu Mesut Özil'in transferi hk" [Regarding the transfer of footballer Mesut Özil]. KAP (in Turkish). Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Arsenal agree to terminate Ozil contract as Fenerbahce move nears - sources". ESPN. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Rüya gerçek oldu: Mesut Özil Fenerbahçemizde!" [The dream came true: Mesut Özil joins Fenerbahçe!]. Fenerbahçe SK (in Turkish). Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil close to Arsenal exit, Fenerbahce move". NBC Sports. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Fenerbahçe formasını giyeceğim için çok mutluyum; ben hep Fenerbahçeliydim". T24 (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil'den İstanbul'da ilk röportaj". Fotomaç (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "Son Dakika | Fenerbahçe'nin yeni transferi Mesut Özil, İstanbul'a geldi! 312 bin kişi..." Hürriyet Daily News (in Turkish). 18 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "Flaş gerçek ortaya çıktı! Fenerbahçe yıllar önce de Mesut Özil'i istemiş". Fotomaç. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Memleketindeki muhtar anlattı: Fenerbahçe, yıllar önce Mesut'u istemiş - Spor haberleri". dha.com.tr. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ a b Sporx (1 April 2018). "Mesut Özil: 'Bir gün Fenerbahçe'ye geleceğim'". Sporx (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder set to join Fenerbahce". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Fenerbahce play down move for Arsenal midfielder". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: 'Hep Fenerbahçeliydim öyle de kalacağım'". Milliyet (in Turkish). 28 January 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil'den veda mesajı: Hep Fenerbahçeliydim, sadece çocukken değil". skor.sozcu.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ Özil, Mesut. "Mesut Özil on Twitter - "Every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when they grow up in Germany. And mine was Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce is like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country"". Twitter. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ Sarigul, Emre (10 July 2015). "Arsenal star Mesut Ozil reveals he has always been a Fenerbahce fan". Turkish Football. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil open to United States move after Arsenal spell concludes". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Report: Mesut Ozil in negotiations with DC United". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Why Mesut Ozil will wear no. 67 at Fenerbahce". dailycannon.com. 24 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil makes his debut for Fenerbahçe in Turkey's Süper Lig". dailysabah.com. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Hurley, Lee (2 May 2021). "Mesut Ozil returns to play". Daily Cannon.
- ^ "Fenerbahçe 1-2 Sivasspor / Maç özeti - Spor Haberleri". Hürriyet. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Fenerbahçe Kadıköy'de yıkıldı!| Fenerbahçe 1-2 Sivasspor". cumhuriyet.com.tr. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Former Arsenal star Ozil scores first goal since February 2020, and first for Fenerbahce". goal.com. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ Agency, Anadolu (17 September 2021). "UEFA Europa League: Fenerbahçe draw with Eintracht Frankfurt". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Kevin Trapp the hero for Eintracht Frankfurt against Fenerbahce". bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil, üç yıl aradan sonra bir ilki başardı | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Highlights: An intense Intercontinental Derby goes to Fenerbahce with late win". beIN Sports. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil Wins Squid Game (AKA The Intercontinental Derby)". the18.com. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Özil plötzlich bester Fenerbahce-Torjäger" (in German). Bild. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Özil marca un golazo en la victoria del Fenerbahçe ante Galatasaray en el Clásico turco" (in Spanish). Marca. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Bilgilendirme" (in Turkish). Fenerbahçe SK. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Former Arsenal midfielder excluded from Fenerbahce's first team". Sky Sports. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Açıklama" (in Turkish). Fenerbahçe SK. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: "Hedefim huzurlu bir şekilde burada oynamak"" (in Turkish). beIN Sports. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Mesut Özil, Başakşehir ile ilk maçına çıktı" (in Turkish). TRT Spor. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Özil verkündet sofortiges Karriereende". kicker (in German). 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder announces retirement aged 34". Sky Sports. 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023.
- ^ Arnhold, Matthias (21 July 2023). "title". RSSSF.com. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Geht Özil dem DFB von der Fahne?". Sport1 (in German). 15 December 2008. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Sporx. "Mesut Özil'den Türkiye - Almanya itirafı! - Sporx Galeri". Sporx (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Özil neden Almanya'yı seçti?". sampiy10.gazetevatan.com. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ Mynet (5 April 2018). "Mesut Özil, milli takımı neden reddettiğini açıkladı!". Mynet Spor (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Ozil – Q&A – Interviews". FourFourTwo. June 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (23 June 2010). "Ghana 0–1 Germany". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (27 June 2010). "Germany 4–1 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "World Cup 2010: Wesley Sneijder and David Villa head Golden Ball list". theguardian.com. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ "Germany stroll past Austria to reach EURO 2012". UEFA. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Statistics". UEFA. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Ozil to receive German POTY award". ESPN FC. 28 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Fan Club wählt Mesut Özil zum "Nationalspieler des Jahres"" (in German). DFB. 5 January 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009.
- ^ "Ozil to receive German POTY award". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ "Netherlands, Germany drawn in Euro "Group of Death"". Fox News. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Germany 4–2 Greece". BBC Sport. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Germany 1–2 Italy". BBC Sport. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Carlsberg Man of the Match Award". UEFA. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Top scorers". FIFA. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ "Germany 2–1 Algeria". BBC Sport. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ "Brazil 1–7 Germany". BBC Sport. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ "Germany 1–0 Argentina". BBC Sport. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Michel Platini asked Mesut Ozil for his shirt during World Cup celebrations". 101 Great Goals. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Magowan, Alistair (12 June 2016). "Germany 2–0 Ukraine". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ "Özil MOTM". 21 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ Davie, Chris (26 June 2016). "Mesut Özil sets unwanted record after Germany penalty miss". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Homewood, Brian; Ferris, Ken (3 July 2016). "Germany win epic shootout to end Italy jinx". Reuters. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ "Germany seal dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Italy". RTÉ Sport. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ "Germany announce final World Cup squad, with Manuel Neuer, without Leroy Sané". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder quits Germany over 'racism and disrespect'". BBC Sport. 23 July 2018.
- ^ "Özil and Gundogan's Erdogan photos cause German furore". BBC News. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Erdogan taunts Germany with Nazi comparison". BBC News. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "Germany block Erdogan rally in Hamburg". DW. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ Oltermann, Philip (16 May 2018). "Özil and Gündoğan's Erdoğan picture causes anger in Germany". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Bierhoff fährt Bommes wegen Özil und Gündogan an". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 8 June 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Finaler WM-Kader: Löw streicht Leno, Tah, Sané und Petersen" [Final World Cup squad: Löw removed Leno, Tah, Sané and Petersen]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil tritt aus der Nationalmannschaft zurück". kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Özil speaks, defends meeting with Turkish president and calls out DFB for double-standards". BavarianFootball. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "Doppelmoral-Debatte: Lothar Matthäus erklärt seine Fotos mit Wladimir Putin". Sportbuzzer (in German). 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Bryant, Tom (22 July 2018). "Mesut Ozil walks away from Germany team citing 'racism and disrespect'". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Mertesacker springt seinem alten Freund Özil zur Seite". Nordwest-Zeitung (in German). 12 July 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Ozil claims were 'nonsense', says Kroos". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "DFB head admits to errors over Özil accusations – DW – 08/18/2018". dw.com. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "DFB chief regrets leaving Mesut Ozil to face racist attacks". AP News. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Honigstein, Raphael. "How Mesut Ozil was caught in the crossfire of Germany's 'moral hypocrisy' row". The Athletic. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Khalid, Ozer (19 December 2022). "Mesut Özil's shadow still taunts Germany | Opinion". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "World Cup fans remind Germany of racism towards ex-teammate Ozil". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "The quiet genius of Mesut Özil". Deutsche Welle. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (25 June 2010). "Ozil provides X-factor threat to England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil on the art of being the playmaker". FourFourTwo. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ a b Gannon, Willie (14 November 2013). "5 Things Arsenal's Mesut Ozil Does Better Than Andrea Pirlo". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ a b Bull, JJ (13 October 2016). "How Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are taking Arsenal back to the days of Henry and Bergkamp". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "The False-10". Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ "Introducing...the central winger?". zonalmarking.net. 3 December 2010. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ Hanfler, Markus (14 October 2013). "Ozil playing as a False 9: Could Germany be a model for Arsenal?". HITC.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ Marioni, Massimo (4 September 2013). "Jose Mourinho: Mesut Ozil is the best no.10 in the world". Metro. UK. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d Shrestha, Sarad Bade (26 May 2016). "Euro 2016's Top 50 Players: Number 13 Mesut Ozil". HITC.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ "Consistency the key for last season's pass master Ozil". Premier League. 7 October 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ Cox, Michael (12 September 2013). "Ozil's secret weapon". ESPN. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ Tavares, Ricardo (13 January 2020). "Valuing Off-the-ball Movement". Medium. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ Wright, David (10 September 2014). "Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil 'proud' of assist record since £42.5m Emirates move". Daily Express. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ Wright, Nicholas P. (13 September 2017). "Are criticisms of Mesut Ozil fair? The stats on his Arsenal role and record". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "2.71 – Mesut Özil has the best games/assist rate in @PremierLeague history – average one every 2.71 matches. (min. 20 assists) Provider". 24 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ Horeni, Michael (16 June 2010). "Unser Messi ist Özil". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). p. 2. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Hiddink verflucht, Özil gefeiert". Der Standard (in German). 12 October 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ Duchateau, Francois (10 February 2011). "Trotz 'genialer Momente': Enttäuschung bei Mesut Özil und Lukas Podolski". Goal.com (in German). Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ a b Lowe, Sid (3 April 2011). "Real Madrid find 'Nemo' to their liking as Mesut Ozil settles in well". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- ^ "Gullit: "Özil is technically perfect"". Marca. Spain. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
- ^ "Özil will be "devastating" says Lahm". 26 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ Kamp, Christian (5 January 2016). "Wenn ich Groll hatte – dann auf mich". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2016.
- ^ Marsden, Rory (24 November 2016). "Mesut Ozil 'Disappears' in Physical Arsenal Matches, Says Raymond Domenech". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "'Hazard delivers in big games, Ozil goes missing' - Hoddle delivers verdict on Chelsea & Arsenal stars". Goal.com. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "If Mesut Ozil leaves Arsenal in January, which clubs would want to sign him?". ESPN. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Today's Player of the Week: Mesut Özil". 15 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Keh, Andrew (28 January 2010). "Budding Germany Star Borrows Qualities From His Two Cultures". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ "Ozil out to upstage Messi". FIFA. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ "Ozil flattered by 'German Zidane' label". ESPN Soccernet. 19 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ "'Nemo' y su pandilla". Marca (in Spanish). Spain. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- ^ White, Duncan (12 June 2010). "Germany v Australia: Mesut Ozil at head of the vanguard for new generation". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ Smith, Andrew (27 June 2010). "Mesut Özil: National Treasure". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ Wallrodt, Lars (26 March 2017). "Noch heute muss ich mich konzentrieren, wenn ich Deutsch rede". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ Lars Wallrodt (26 March 2017). ""Noch heute muss ich mich konzentrieren, wenn ich Deutsch rede"". Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ^ Welty, Ute (23 June 2018). "Wo Manuel Neuer und Mesut Özil die Schulbank drückten". Deutschlandfunk Kultur. Deutschlandradio. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "German Turks set for face-off on football pitch". Hürriyet Daily News. 10 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ Ilgun, Yasin Madyb (9 April 2013). "'I will always be Turkish' – Why Ozil is worshipped in Istanbul". goal.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ "Mesut Özil'in hayali Barça" (in Turkish). Sabah. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Kein türkischer Staatsbürger mehr. Özil derzeit nicht für die Türkei spielberechtigt". Spox (in German). 16 February 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil visits Muslim holy city Mecca ahead of Euro 2016". Squawka. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "German Muslim footballer Mesut Ozil kisses bread thrown at him by Atletico Madrid fans". The News. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "Soccer stars steal show at Germany's Bambi Awards". Reuters. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ "New Posh and Beck: Arsenal's Ozil & girlfriend Mandy Capristo - Entertainment - Emirates24|7". emirates247.com. 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Mandy Capristo splits from Mesut Ozil after his affair". Mid-day. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Arsenal star Mesut Ozil pictured with former girlfriend in Berlin after rumoured split last year". Mirror. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ^ "Arsenal's Mesut Ozil rekindles relationship with ex-girlfriend Mandy Capristo?". Sports Mole. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil gets super close to former Miss Turkey, Amine Gulse". 28 June 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ "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. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022.
- ^ Meade, Sam (30 March 2020). "Mesut Ozil and wife welcome baby daughter as Arsenal star reveals adorable name". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ "Başakşehirli futbolcu Mesut Özil ile Amine Gülşe'nin ikinci kız çocukları doğdu! İlk kare geldi Ela bebeğe ünlülerden yorum yağdı". Takvim. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ "Arsenal's Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac face carjacking gang". BBC News. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Arsenal's Sead Kolašinac and Mesut Ozil 'fine' after carjacking attempt". BBC News. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac out of Arsenal's Newcastle trip over security fears". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Two charged after incident at Arsenal star's home". BBC News. 10 August 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder and fiancee to fund surgery for 1,000 children". BBC Sport. 7 June 2019.
- ^ Freij, Muath (19 May 2016). "Mesut Ozil gives joy to Zaatari camp children". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil has offered to reimburse Arsenal for the salary of Gunnersaurus if they give the mascot his job back". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ^ "Mesut Özil'den ihtiyaç sahiplerine ramazan yardımı". trthaber.com (in Turkish). 5 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ ALİOĞLU/İSTANBUL, (DHA), İbrahim (22 April 2021). "Mesut Özil'den Ramazan ayında anlamlı yardım". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Ames, Nick (13 December 2019). "Arsenal distance themselves from Mesut Özil comments on Uighurs' plight". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "Chinese TV pulls Arsenal match after Ozil's Uighur comments". France 24, Agence France Presse. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ Aaro, David (15 December 2019). "Soccer star Mesut Özil criticizes Muslim detention camp, spurs Chinese TV to pull match". Fox News. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal-Manchester City game removed from schedules by China state TV". BBC. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ "中国足协回应:厄齐尔的言论无法接受". Guancha.cn. 14 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021.
- ^ "外交部回应厄齐尔事件:欢迎他到新疆走走看看". Sina Sports. 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021.
- ^ "China invites Arsenal's Özil to Xinjiang after he criticized Uighur mass detention". CP24. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ Uddin, Rayhan (14 October 2020). "Ozil v Mkhitaryan: Footballers wade into Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ "Arsenal's Ozil favours Azerbaijan in Karabakh dispute". Middle East Monitor. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ "FENERBAHÇE: DRAPEAU EN MAIN, ÖZIL APPORTE SON SOUTIEN À L'AZERBAÏDJAN EN PLEINE PRÉSENTATION". RMC Sport (in French). 27 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Özil, Ramazan Bayramı mesajında Kudüs'teki Müslümanları unutmadı". Haberler.com (in Turkish). 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Fenerbahçe-Sivasspor maçında Filistin unutulmadı". aa.com.tr. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ QuarkPlayer, player-inline {display: inline-block;padding-bottom: 56 25%;position: relative;width: 100%;z-index: 5;} player-box {height: 100%;left: 0;position: absolute;top: 0;width: 100%;}$ ready{quarkPlayer = new; bufferLength:5; true, autoPlay; false, subTitles; true, showAds; false, showNotification; showB; true, widthSelector; false, customMenu (11 May 2021). "Fenerbahçeli futbolcular Özgür Filistin tişörtüyle ısındı". Milliyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Mesut Ozil launches development centre for South Asians". BBC Sport. 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil switches to the Three Stripes!". Footballboots.co.uk. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and Mesut Ozil star in exciting new Adidas advert". Daily Mirror. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ "Mesut Özil Launches His Own Logo". Footballboots.co.uk. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Manchester United's Paul Pogba dab, Arsenal's Mesut Ozil dummy and the best Fifa 17 celebrations". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ "REVEALED: The heartwarming meaning behind Ozil's 'M' celebration". Goal. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ "Arsenal's Mesut Özil was called a 'coward' by Jose Mourinho in blistering dressing-room row at Real Madrid". The Independent. 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Özil, Mesut (March 2017). Gunning for Greatness: My Life: With an introduction by Jose Mourinho. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1-4736-4994-1.
- ^ M.A (28 February 2022). "Deep Dive Into Mesut Ozil Multimillion-Pound Business Empire". Retrieved 27 April 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Özil musste 2 Millionen Euro Steuern nachzahlen". Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), auf spiegel.de, retrieved 2 December 2016. - ^ Christoph Cöln (3 December 2016), "Mesut Özil: Einfach mal den Fiskus tunneln", Die Welt, retrieved 15 May 2018
- ^ Mesut Özil musste Steuern nachzahlen, auf welt.de, retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ Bartosz, Pascal (23 July 2024). "Ex-DFB-Spieler auf Instagram: Mesut Özil zeigt Tattoo mit Symbol der rechtsextremen "Grauen Wölfe"" [Ex-DFB player on Instagram: Mesut Özil shows tattoo with symbol of the far-right "Grey Wolves"]. Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ Klein, Oliver; Klauser, Felix (24 July 2024). "Warum zeigt sich Özil mit Graue-Wölfe-Tattoo?" [Why is Özil sporting a Grey Wolves tattoo?]. ZDF (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ Sendker, Marion; Panning, Jonas (24 July 2024). "Özil und die Grauen Wölfe: Der Traum vom großtürkischen Reich" [Özil and the Grey Wolves: the dream of a Greater Turkish empire]. Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ Wißing, Carolyn (25 July 2023). "Warum Özils "Graue Wölfe"-Tattoo ein Problem ist" [Why Özil's "grey wolves" tattoo is a problem]. Tagesschau (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Mesut Özil posts "Free Palestine" picture and prays for peace". n-tv NEWS. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Özil shares image that appears to call for Israel's extinction". n-tv. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Eklat auf Instagram – Mesut Özil verunstaltet Landkarte und löscht Israel, ksta.de, 31. July 2024
- ^ "Mesut Özil". kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ "M. Özil: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Germany - Mesut Özil". Besoccer. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Mesut Özil". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0:1 Werder Bremen: Takt. aufstellung" [Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0:1 Werder Bremen: Tactical lineup]. kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Werder Bremen 0:4 Bayern München: Takt. aufstellung" [Werder Bremen 0:4 Bayern München: Tactical lineup]. kicker (in German). Olympia-Verlag. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "2008/09, Final: Shakhtar Donetsk 2–1 Bremen: Overview". UEFA. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Real Madrid 2011–12: Statistics". BDFutbol. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Acta del Partido celebrado el 20 de abril de 2011, en Valencia" [Minutes of the Match held on 20 April 2011, in Valencia] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Acta del Partido celebrado el 17 de mayo de 2013, en Madrid" [Minutes of the Match held on 17 May 2013, in Madrid] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Acta del Partido celebrado el 23 de agosto de 2012, en Barcelona" [Minutes of the Match held on 23 August 2012, in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
"Acta del Partido celebrado el 29 de agosto de 2012, en Madrid" [Minutes of the Match held on 29 August 2012, in Madrid] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020. - ^ McNulty, Phil (17 May 2014). "Arsenal 3–2 Hull City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (30 May 2015). "Arsenal 4–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (27 May 2017). "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Cryer, Andy (2 August 2015). "Arsenal 1–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (25 February 2018). "Arsenal 0–3 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Bevan, Chris (29 May 2019). "Chelsea 4–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Final: Germany 4–0 England: Line-ups". UEFA. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Match report: Germany – Argentina". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019.
- ^ "Match report: Uruguay – Germany". FIFA. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019.
- ^ "Team-of-the-Season-1" (PDF). Historical Lineups. p. 13. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Lahm zieht an Robben vorbei". kicker Online (in German). 7 June 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "2009-2010 Bundesliga Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "2009-2010 Bundesliga Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "2011-2012 La Liga Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Player stats".
- ^ "Champions League 2010/2011 - Assists". worldfootball.net. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "EURO final tournament assists: All you need to know".
- ^ "Most Assists :: World Cup 2010 :: playmakerstats.com". www.playmakerstats.com. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Premier League Player Stats - Assists". premierleague.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
Select season in the "Filter by season" drop-down menu.
- ^ "Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil wins Germany player of the year award". The Guardian. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ "Mesut Ozil: Arsenal midfielder wins Germany's Player of the Year for fifth time". BBC Sport. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "UEFA EURO 2012 Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ "UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2012". UEFA. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ "UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2013 revealed". UEFA. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ "Ozil wins Laureus Sports award". Kick Off.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Mesut Ozil receives honourary prize". Arsenal F.C. 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Ozil named PFA Fans' Player of the Month". Arsenal F.C. 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Ozil wins PFA Fans' award". Sky Sports.
- ^ "Mesut Özil: Winner of the German Football Ambassador Public Award". DW. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Player of the Season – the winner is..." Arsenal Football Club. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ^ "Arsenal's Mesut Özil voted 'Best German Abroad' by Kicker Magazine". 101 Great Goals.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
External links
- Official website
- Profile at Arsenal F.C.
- Mesut Özil at DFB (also available in German)
- Mesut Özil – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Mesut Özil – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Mesut Özil at Soccerbase
- Mesut Özil at kicker (in German)
- Mesut Özil at fussballdaten.de (in German)
- Mesut Özil at BDFutbol
- Mesut Özil at National-Football-Teams.com
- Mesut Özil at Premier League