Mesut Özil announced his retirement from the Germany team after the World Cup
Jérôme Boateng believes fear of backlash from fans has prevented other Germany players from defending Mesut Özil after the Arsenal player retired from international football.
Özil cited racism within the German football hierarchy as the main reason behind his decision, after the reaction to Germany’s premature elimination from the World Cup promoted countless racially charged criticisms of the playmaker.
Since his retirement, no Germany internationals have come forward to defend Özil, with many denying any existence of racism within German football.
Boateng has come out and said he believes the fear of a negative reaction from the national team’s fans was the main reason behind the lack of support Özil was shown by his peers.
“Where were the teammates who thanked Mesut? Apparently, they did not dare to make any comments because they thought it would not go down well with the Germany fans,” Boateng told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
Boateng also said that there has been a lack of respect shown for Özil’s contribution to German football – the 29-year-old won German Player of the Year five times in six years.
“It’s not about that photo. It’s about a great player who has won the World Cup with us,” Boateng said. “Who has won a lot of caps, who changed German football a bit. A No. 10 with a migratory background.
“You must thank him. To abstain, I think that’s sad!”
Boateng is referencing a photograph of Özil and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which sparked debate in Germany.
