
Mesut Özil (foto: Getty Images)
In a candid reflection on Mesut Özil's controversial exit from the German national team, former German international Mario Basler expressed a blunt assessment of the situation.
Özil, who retired from international football in 2018 citing feelings of racism and disrespect, and recently ended his club career at Turkish side Basaksehir, has been a topic of renewed conversation following comments by his father, Mustafa Özil, to SportBild. Mustafa expressed sadness and disappointment over the manner in which his son's career concluded, a sentiment that has reopened discussions in Germany.
Basler, a retired midfielder with a European Championship title to his name and a veteran of 30 matches for Germany, offered a critical perspective on Özil's legacy. "Özil had a very difficult departure. In my view, he had great talent but was not as great a player as he was made out to be. Of course, he became a world champion, but we were not world champions because of him," Basler stated on Sport1 television. He described Özil's allegations of racism within the team as "cheeky and very far-fetched" and added, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't let him back into Germany."
This stark commentary from Basler not only challenges Özil's narrative but also ignites debate over the intersection of politics, personal experience, and national representation in sports.