Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday pulled from its schedule Arsenal's English Premier League match against Manchester City.

CCTV's move followed Gunners midfielder Mesut Özil's criticism of China's policy towards its Muslim Uighur minority.

The match was scheduled to be broadcast live on CCTV's sports channel; however, it was replaced with a prerecorded game between Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Qurans are being burnt. Mosques are being shut down. Muslim schools are being banned. Religious scholars are being killed. Brothers are forcefully being sent to camps," Özil, a Muslim of Turkish descent,posted in Turkish on social media.

"The Muslims are silent. Their voice is not heard," he wrote on a background of a blue field with a white crescent moon, the flag of what Uighur separatists call East Turkestan.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures Wunderkind Özil joined the youth system of Bundesliga team Schalke in his hometown of Gelsenkirchen in 2005. His success on the international stage came early, winning the U21 European championship with Germany in 2009.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures Bremen and beyond Özil's club career has not disappointed those who once described him as "the next big thing." After a falling out with Schalke over salary, Özil moved to Werder Bremen in 2008. His performances for Germany in 2010's World Cup gained the attention of Europe's best clubs. He moved to Real Madrid in 2010 and later moved to English team Arsenal for a (then) club record €50 million ($58.7 million).

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures Paragon of integration In 2010, Özil won the Bambi — Germany's top media prize — for being a shining example of German integration. A third-generation German, he has always expressed pride in his Turkish roots, while emphasizing that his life has been devoted to Germany. An observant Muslim, he posted pictures of himself making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 2016.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures King of Hearts Seen here meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel after defeating Turkey in 2012, the attacking midfielder has attracted legions of loyal fans for his quiet, unassuming personality and philanthropy. He would later be applauded for donating his 2014 World Cup winnings to Brazilian children in need of life-saving surgery and for meeting with Syrian refugee children in Jordan.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures World Champion Özil started in all seven games of Germany's sucessful World Cup run in Brazil in 2014. Known as "Löw's playmaker," the midfielder has a close relationship with German national coach Joachim Löw. He ended the tournament leading in passes completed in the final third and was behind only Argentine superstar Lionel Messi in chances created.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures Erdogan controversy Özil has met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan several times, most recently in May 2018, leading to a photo opportunity that many resoundingly condemned — from the political left for his apparent support of an authoritarian leader, and from the right for a perceived lack of loyalty to Germany.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures End of an era Germany crashed out in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia — the national team's worst performance in decades. The president of the DFB, Reinhard Grindel, attempted to deflect criticism from himself by blaming Özil's Erodgan meeting for distracting the team. Grindel's reaction drew intense criticism from German politicians and soccer fans.

Mesut Özil: His career in pictures 'I am German when we win but an immigrant when we lose' In an eviscerating statement on Twitter, Özil resigned from international play in July 2018, aged 29. "I will no longer stand for being a scapegoat for his incompentence," the footballer said of Grindel. Accusing the DFB president of racism, he thanked Löw and others in the German team for their support. In total, he played 92 matches for Germany, scored 23 goals, and registered 40 assists. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher



Arsenal distances itself from Özil's comments

About 1 million Uighurs and other minorities have been detained in high-security camps, according to human-rights activists and the United Nations.

China initially denied the camps existed but now describes them as vocational schools aimed at dampening the allure of Islamist extremism and violence.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) said Özil's comments were "unacceptable" and "hurt the feelings" of Chinese supporters.

"Özil's comments are undoubtedly hurtful to the Chinese fans who closely follow him, and at the same time his comments also hurt the feelings of Chinese people. This is something we cannot accept," government-backed news outlet The Paper reported, quoting an unnamed CFA official.

'Petulant kid'

Özil was selected for Sunday's game by caretaker Arsenal manager Freddie Ljungberg, but made little impact before being substituted about an hour into play. His slow walk to the touchline before kicking away his gloves in frustration upset some Arsenal fans and at least one TV host.

"Özil subbed after 58 mins and responds by crawling off like a snail and throwing his gloves away like a petulant kid," commented media personality Piers Morgan. "Pathetic."

"The China thing, that is a political discussion that I leave for the club to deal with," said Ljungberg, echoing comments from Arsenal inisting that it stayed out of politics.

Read more: Mesut Özil breaks Ramadan fast with Erdogan

German exports to the Premier League The loanee After losing his Schalke spot to emerging young talent Alexander Nübel, Ralf Fährmann has left his boyhood club to try and make his mark in England, for a season at least. His new coach calls him "still one of the best German keepers" but the former Schalke captain will have to displace Dutch international Tim Krul between the sticks for newly promoted Norwich City.

German exports to the Premier League The newcomer That coach's name is Daniel Farke. The Norwich boss joined the Canaries from Borussia Dortmund's reserves two years ago and secured a surprise promotion, and league title, last season. The 42-year-old has installed a German spine to his team, and Fährmann is joined in the squad by seven playing compatriots.

German exports to the Premier League So many Germans Onel Hernandez, Dennis Sbeny, Christoph Zimmermann, Tom Trybull, Marco Stiepermann, Philip Heise and Moritz Leitner may not be household names in Germany but at the club in the east of England they and their coach have their own song: "All the Germans, so many Germans, they all go hand in hand, hand in hand through their Farke-life." To Blur's 'Parklife' in case you didn't pick it.

German exports to the Premier League The title winner? Jürgen Klopp is another man who inspires song in his admirers, in his case there's plenty of both. After securing a Champions League winner's medal and breaking his long trophy drought last season, the Liverpool coach wants the same thing as the fans - to end the 30 year wait for the Premier League title.

German exports to the Premier League The one with plenty to prove What is realistically expected of Shkordan Mustafi this season? Firstly, to make fewer mistakes. The center back, 27, has become a figure of fun at Arsenal and the signing of David Luiz from Chelsea is likely to send him further down the pecking order. Rumors of interest from Monaco have swirled in recent days.

German exports to the Premier League The number one Bernd Leno stands in contrast to Mustafi as the established first choice for his position at Arsenal. The goalkeeper took a while to displace now-retired Petr Cech last term before making the spot his own. He's now taken the No. 1 jersey and will be hoping to improve a leaky defense.

German exports to the Premier League The opinion divider But the best know of Arsenal's German contingent remains Mesut Özil. The playmaker divides opinion like few others, some see a lethargic luxury and others a skilled footballer with vision beyond compare. The truth, as always, is somewhere in between. The 2014 World Cup winner is still yet to win a trophy with the Gunners and must also win the trust of coach Unai Emery.

German exports to the Premier League The talk of the transfer window Will he or won't he? Endless transfer talk was devoted to whether or not Leroy Sane, the Premier League's young player of the year in 2017-18, would move to Bayern Munich. The skillful winger seemed to have lost the trust of Pep Guardiola towards the end of last season, making a transfer possible. But a cruciate ligament injury seems to have put an end to any move, for now at least.

German exports to the Premier League The metronome Despite winning the domestic treble with Manchester City last season, Ilkay Gündogan's future looked uncertain, with contract talks stalling despite his increased importance to Pep Guardiola's side. The midfielder showed great adaptability to perform a deeper lying role last term without losing any of his influence and duly signed a new four-year deal just before the start of the season.

German exports to the Premier League The man under the radar Pascal Gross spent two years at Ingolstadt before joining Brighton and Hove Albion when the German outfit were relegated in 2017. The 28-year-old has become a regular in the Seagulls midfield, with his dead ball delivery proving a key weapon for a side who have battled against the drop. How Gross fits into new coach Graham Potter's system is, for now, an open question.

German exports to the Premier League The recuperated Though Chelsea's 2018-19 season ended in Europa League glory, Antonio Rüdiger was forced to watch it from the stands as a result of a knee injury which required surgery. The center back looks set to be a key man under new coach Frank Lampard, especially with the departure of David Luiz. He will also hope to nail down a place in the national team, which he hasn't quite achieved yet.

German exports to the Premier League The talent A strong dribbler who's confident on the ball in tight spaces, for a long time Max Meyer was one of German football's great hopes for the future. He made his Schalke debut at 17 and was in the national team a year later. Since then, things have stalled a little. His free transfer to Crystal Palace didn't quite work out last year and his last Germany cap was in November 2016. Author: Sarah Wiertz (MP)



kw/rc (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

DW sends out a daily selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here.