Mesut Ozil suffered a massive defeat in his first appearance for Istanbul Basaksehir's reserve team on Wednesday afternoon.
Ozil, 33, joined the Turkish side on a one-year deal last month after his Fenerbahce contract was terminated by mutual consent. It's been a turbulent time for the World Cup winner, who hasn't played a senior game since he was suspended by Fenerbahce in March.
Ozil is hoping to rebuild his career in Turkey following his exit from Arsenal in January 2021. The playmaker didn't play during the final eight months of his time at the Emirates and had his contract ripped up after falling out of favour with manager Mikel Arteta.
Ozil is aiming to build up his match fitness before making his senior debut for Basaksehir. As such, he was involved in a reserve team friendly against Kasimpasa on Wednesday afternoon, but the game didn't go as planned. It finished a stunning 7-1 to Kasimpasa.
Fans of the former Germany international will be relieved to hear the score was only 1-0 to Kasimpasa when Ozil was substituted at half-time. Despite the result, the ex-Gunners star will be delighted to get some minutes under his belt ahead of a competitive return.
Basaksehir's Super Lig campaign is already underway, ironically beating Kasimpasa 4-0 at home in their season opener. They are one of the best teams in Turkey, winning the title just two years ago and finishing fourth in the table last term.
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Basaksehir are aiming to qualify for this season's Europa Conference League. They are through to the third qualifying round and just need to avoid defeat in the second leg of their tie against Icelandic side Breidablik on Thursday evening after winning the first leg 3-1.
Ozil is hoping to play a key part in Basaksehir's season as soon as possible. They are coached by former Newcastle and Galatasaray midfielder Emre Belozoglu, who is backing Ozil to regain his form. Basaksehir have the option of extending his deal by a further year.
"Ozil has not been working with the team for four to five months," Belozoglu recently explained. "He will have another 20 to 25 days ahead of him to be ready. We are doing our best and he is doing his best, he wants to play football. We are happy with Mesut, he has to finish well in his career."
Ozil was widely regarded as one of the best playmakers in Europe during his twenties. After spells with Bundesliga clubs Schalke and Werder Bremen, he joined Real Madrid in August 2010 and quickly became a key member of Joachim Low's Germany side.
The creative talent won the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey in the Spanish capital before joining Arsenal in September 2013. He went on to lift three FA Cups at the Emirates to become a cult hero and achieved great success at international level, winning the 2014 World Cup.
Ozil lost his place at Arsenal not long after Arteta's appointment in December 2019. He tried to reignite his career at Fenerbahce and did enjoy some bright moments, scoring nine goals last season. However, he never played for them again after being dropped in March.
