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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Sport
Asharq Al-Awsat

Ex-Germany Midfielder Ozil Announces End of Playing Career

12 October 2016, Lower Saxony, Hannover: Germany's Mesut Ozil looks on during the national anthem ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Germany and Northern Ireland at the HDI Arena. (dpa)

Germany's World Cup-winning midfielder Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from football at the age of 34 on Wednesday.

The former Real Madrid and Arsenal player was a key member of Germany's World Cup-winning side in Brazil in 2014.

He retired from the squad in 2018 amid a political debate in Germany about an influx of migrants and after backlash over a photograph taken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he faced "racism and disrespect" over his Turkish ancestry.

"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity," Ozil, who most recently played for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, said in a statement on Instagram.

"But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football."

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