Mesut Ozil: Ex-Arsenal midfielder excluded from Fenerbahce's squad, confirms club in a 26-word statement
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ByEurosport
Updated 24/03/2022 at 16:22 GMT
Mesut Ozil is currently 14 months into a three-and-a-half-year contract with Fenerbahce and is the captain of the Turkish Super Lig club. However, it was announced in a 26-word statement on Thursday that the former Arsenal midfielder has been excluded from their squad alongside team-mate Ozan Tufan, who spent the first half of the 2021/22 season at Watford.
Mesut Ozil
Image credit: Getty Images
Mesut Ozil has been excluded from Fenerbahce’s first team, the Turkish club have confirmed.
The former Arsenal midfielder has been suspended with immediate effect as well as midfielder Ozan Tufan.
A statement from the club’s official Twitter account read: "Our Football A Team players Mesut Ozil and Ozan Tufan have been excluded from the squad as per the decision taken. It is announced to the public."
Ozil joined Fenerbahce from Arsenal in January 2021 and has been captaining the club this season. He was pulled off at half-time in their last league game against Konyaspor on Sunday.
Reports in Turkey claim Ozil and Tufan were both unhappy with the lack of minutes they were playing under manager Ismail Kartal.
Fenerbahce had also recently been forced to deny that Ozil had effectively gone on strike due to a row over unpaid wages.
"The news that Mesut Ozil did not play because his debts from the club were not paid have nothing to do with the facts,” a club statement read.
Fenerbahce president Ali Koc said last November that Ozil was “unhappy” at the club and that Kartal was not able to get the best from him.
"Ozil wants to play more," Koc said.
"From now on, he needs to focus on his game and keep his commercial interests out of it. He needs to think about contributing to Fenerbahce.
"Our coach also needs to try to figure out how to get the most out of Ozil. There is not a problem, despite what the media says. Mesut is unhappy because he does not play regularly."
Ozil has scored eight goals for Fenerbahce this season and has a contract until the summer of 2024.
The 33-year-old scored against Alanyaspor before playing 45 minutes in their 2-1 win over Konyaspor.
Tufan was on loan at Watford for the first half of the 2021/22 season, but returned to his parent club in January after making just nine appearances in all competitions for the Hertfordshire side.
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