Mesut Özil, who had assured on several occasions that he wanted to end his football career as a Fenerbahçe player, officially ceases to belong to the Turkish club. He had been sidelined from the team since March 24 due to disagreements with then caretaker coach Ismail Kartal, after being substituted at half-time in a match against Konyaspor. Almost four months later, Fenerbahçe have decided to unilaterally break their contract with the midfielder, despite the two years remaining to expire.
From the moment he was separated from the rest of the squad, the former Real Madrid and Arsenal player, among others, continued to train alone. His goal has always been to get ready to compete with the team again. "I didn't come to Fenerbahçe or to my home country on vacation. Every time I wear our glorious jersey my goal is to contribute something. I have many goals to achieve here, at my childhood club. I won't give up football until I achieve them", He declared at the end of June through his social networks.
The vision of the club was totally different, even before the negative episode with the interim coach. The entity's president, Ali Koç, pointed out the 33-year-old at the time, saying that he "should focus on football and Fenerbahçe, since so far he has not lived up to expectations." For his part, the current coach of the team, the Portuguese Jorge Jesús, also addressed the situation publicly: "Özil is an important player. However, there is a decision that the club made for him. This decision will continue. Here the important thing is not Jorge Jesús, nor Özil... The important thing is the success of Fenerbahçe".
Now officially without a team, his future is up in the air. His representative, Erkut Sogut, confessed in mid-June in statements to The Telegraph that, in the event of leaving the Turkish club for good, his footballer would not sign for another team: “I think he will no longer play football for any other club. I can't see that,” he assured. The situation reached the limit and, taking into account Sogut's words, there is speculation that Mesut Özil may withdraw.
Owner of an eSports team, the midfielder could dedicate his future to competing professionally in the digital world. "Maybe he will become an esports pro. He's really good at Fortnite, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up competing one day," his rep also confirmed. At the moment the only clear thing is his departure from Fenerbahçe, a club he arrived at in January 2021 and from which he leaves after 36 games, eight goals and three assists.
Previously, his undoubted talent was always accompanied by a certain indiscipline that took its toll on him at his other clubs. A youth squad for Schalke O4, he played for Werder Bremen between 2008 and 2010 before making the jump to Real Madrid. In the white club he enjoyed great moments, but he was also affected by his irregularity and certain extra-sports episodes. He went to Arsenal in 2013 and in London he enjoyed his best years: he played 254 games, scoring 44 goals and dishing out 77 assists. With the arrival of Mikel Arteta he lost ownership and ended up leaving for Turkey.
