Sport
Looking at Mesut Özil’s legacy
When Mesut Özil announced his retirement at the age of 34 this week, his legacy was instantly the subject of debate.
The former Germany midfielder is arguably his country’s most talented player of the 21st century, proving pivotal to their World Cup triumph in 2014. Having began his career at Schalke 04 and moved to Werder Bremen, he first garnered worldwide attention at the 2010 tournament when he ran England ragged in the last 16 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. That followed a man of the match performance in the under-21 European Championship against the same opposition a year earlier.
His reputation had reached the point where Real Madrid came calling, and Özil moved to the Santiago Bernabéu alongside fellow countryman Sami Khedira that same summer. Both become vital cogs in Jose Mourinho’s side, which toppled Barcelona domestically in 2012 at their peak under Pep Guardiola. Although Mourinho and Özil didn’t always see eye to eye, it is hard to remember a coach who got more out of him over those three seasons. Discipline was added to his flair and creativity, crucially without stifling it. Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, two iconic figures in Real Madrid history, publicly made it clear how much they rated Özil.
The only reason he departed Madrid was he became collateral damage in their chase for Gareth Bale in 2013. It was a return to the ‘Galactico’ project under Florentino Perez – signing the most exciting and marketable footballers in the world and putting them in one team. It wasn’t really the way Mourinho worked; he preferred to buy players who could become stars, rather than those who were already established, and Özil fit that mould. But once Mourinho was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti, a much more easygoing character whose main strength was gelling together an expensive or experienced squad, it was back to the old ways under Perez.
And that’s when Özil made the move to Arsenal. It was his strength of relationship with Arsene Wenger which swung it for him because it felt like a rather surprising choice on the surface. Not least because the Gunners had to almost double their transfer record to get him; it was a departure from the ‘buy low and develop’ transfer strategy in place at the time. But that’s why he created such a buzz; his presence suggested bigger aims again, alongside another arrival a year later, Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona.
Neither of them had been the main men at their previous clubs, though, and perhaps it showed. Or, more likely, investment on the level required to sign them didn’t continue. At the time, Arsenal were on a decade-long trophy drought, but Özil managed to help them win four FA Cups, cementing the club as the most successful in the competition’s history with 12 overall.
He had his moments, the brilliance he had become known for in Madrid and for Germany, particularly at the World Cup in Brazil which they ended up winning, were on show, but only fleetingly. He never managed to find the consistency he enjoyed in Spain, which contributed to Arsenal never really making gains on the Premier League title and, ultimately, falling out of contention for the Champions League until this season.
When Wenger left and Unai Emery came in, in the summer of 2018, it was the start of a spiral from which Özil never really recovered. Germany had been knocked out of the World Cup in Russia, as holders, in the group stage; he received heavy criticism which fanned the flames of a premature end to his international career. At club level, just months after signing a lucrative new deal at the Emirates Stadium, he got off to a bad start with Emery and things didn’t get better.
It became clear that the Spanish coach wanted a more upwardly mobile attack and Özil’s perception as a luxury player didn’t help him. If it were just Emery who stood in his way, though, surely Özil would have seen his fortunes improve after his departure in 2019? An ex-teammate of his, Mikel Arteta, was next in the dugout and nothing changed, kickstarting a long, painful exit which was confirmed in 2021.
Turkey, a country Özil could have represented had he not opted for Germany came next. There were 32 appearances for Fenerbahce, whom he left under a bit of a cloud, before just four for Istanbul Basaksehir, whom he leaves as he retires.
A World Cup, La Liga and multiple FA Cup winner, Özil should be proud of his career when he really looks back on it. But is testament to his ability that there is still a sense of what might have been. His later years didn’t go to plan, but he should always be remembered as a German football legend and one of the most fun playmakers to watch of his generation.
