Podolski Slams Arsenal For Ostracizing Ozil
Lukas Podolski has slammed Arsenal for their treatment of Mesut Ozil but is delighted his former teammate is getting another chance to play football ahead of his impending exit from the North London club.
Ozil is on the verge of completing a free transfer to Turkish giants Fenerbahce after getting frozen out of the Arsenal setup for almost a year.
The 32-year-old former Germany international, who is Arsenal’s highest earner, has not kicked a ball for the club since March 7 last year, having been excluded from their Premier League and Europa League squads for the first part of this season.
Podolski, who now plays for Antalyaspor in Turkey, has expressed disgust at how Ozil, who joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013, has been treated.
"I generally think with a player who is now in his sixth or seventh year with the club, to kick him completely out of the squad, that’s absolutely not okay," the former Arsenal forward told Sport Bild.
"He's shown his class on the pitch, he's never been negative towards his colleagues or the club. Arsenal as a club have not looked positive in this situation over the last months."
"It was really a shame that it ended like this. No professional is satisfied if he is not allowed to play," the striker, who formed part of Germany's World Cup-winning squad alongside Ozil in 2014, added.
"Now Mesut can finally do what we all love again: play football."
"I am delighted that Mesut will play for us in Turkey in the future. He is an asset to the league and at 32 years of age is still in his prime footballing age."
"It happens again and again in the Süper Lig that great player names are presented by the club bosses in order to satisfy the fans."
