Mesut Ozil, a German footballer, retired from International duty after the 2018 World Cup, citing racism and disrespect for his decision.
The Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has, however, stated that it was Ozil’s agent, Dr Erkut Sogut, who brought up the racism claims.
Following Ozil’s decision to retire, the incident has caused a lot of controversy, with the footballing world divided over it. While the Arsenal star has found a lot of support from the club and its fans, many in German football have slammed the player.
With backlash against his client, Mesut Ozil’s agent came out in defence of the midfielder in a lengthy statement in which he blasted the DFB for their role in making Ozil quit the national team.
Rummenigge has refuted these claims, calling the agent a liar.
“He was not criticised because he has Turkish heritage,” Rummenigge told Sport Bild. “That is a tale that his agents tell us.
“And that is something that annoys me more and more recently. Nowadays agents do many interviews and statements. Sometimes it is like a fairy tale audition.”
The Bayern CEO also claimed that the club never rated the player; “Mesut Ozil was never a player that we dealt with [as a potential signing] at one percent. Never,
“When we played in London, Uli always said: ‘I hope he plays tonight.'”