Once hailed as Arsenal’s magician, Mesut Özil left the club under a cloud of controversy. His fallout with Mikel Arteta, his outspoken political views, and his refusal to take a pay cut during the pandemic made him one of the most divisive figures in Arsenal’s modern history. Today, Özil lives a quieter life—but drama never strays far.
On one side, Özil is the perfect family man. His Instagram is filled with wholesome posts of his wife and daughter, his charitable donations continue, and he is active in grassroots football projects. But on the other side, Özil is still a political firebrand. His comments on global issues, particularly around human rights, continue to spark debates far beyond football.
For Arsenal fans, the wounds are fresh. Some argue Özil was unfairly scapegoated, frozen out despite still having quality. Others claim he was lazy, uninterested, and poisoned the dressing room. Özil himself has done little to calm the arguments, occasionally dropping cryptic comments about “truth being revealed one day.”
Conspiracy theories have even emerged: Did Arsenal’s board push him out due to his political stances? Was Arteta pressured to sideline him? Fans still debate these questions passionately.
The irony is rich: Özil, once criticized for being too “silent” on the pitch, is now louder than ever off it. To some, he’s a hero who stood by his principles. To others, he’s a distraction who derailed Arsenal at a crucial time.
His life post-Arsenal is calm—but his shadow still sparks some of the fiercest arguments in fan circles.
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