Rummenigge:

Özil criticism has nothing to do with his descent By Rune Gjerulff

Bayern München CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has lashed out at Mesut Özil's representatives.

Aleksandar Dragovic (left) and Mesut Özil (right). Photo: Granada, CC-by-SA 4.0

When Mesut Özil announced his retirement from the German national team, the Arsenal star and his representatives said that one of the main reasons behind the decision is that he feels that he has been a victim of racism and that his commitment to Germany has been questioned because of his Turkish heritage.





However, Bayern München CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says that the criticism has nothing to do with Özil's descent and that it's a narrative made up by his representatives.



"Please. He has not been criticised, because he is of Turkish descent. This is a fable told by his advisors. That's getting on my nerves anyway. The consultants are giving the statements and interviews more and more often today," Rummenigge told SPORT BILD.



Shortly after Özil's announcement, he was blasted by Bayern München president Uli Hoeness who said that the 29-year-old "has been crap for years" and that "he won his last tackle before the World Cup in 2014".



Özil's agent, Dr. Erkut Sogut, then responded to the criticism, claiming that Hoeness had missed the point.



"The comments of Mr. Hoeness miss the point completely, as they have absolutely nothing to do with football. He is trying to divert attention away from the real issue, the issue of racism and discrimination in Germany, which is resurging once again within everyday German society," Dr. Erkut Sogut told Goal.com.





Özil, 29, made his German international debut in 2009. He made 92 appearances for 'Die Mannschaft' and scored 23 goals.





Read more:

Özil retires from the German national team

Hoeness blasts Özil: 'He has been crap for years!'

Özil's agent responds to 'foolish' Hoeness criticism

How the world has reacted to Özil's national team exit





