Former German international Mesut Özil remains suspended from Fenerbahce Istanbul, as new coach Jorge Jesus made clear during his introduction.
“The successes of the past are very important. Mesut Özil is a very good footballer, but the club’s decision about him remains,” Jesus said. Özil, 33, was suspended from the traditional Turkish club in March and has not played a game for Fenerbahce since. “What counts here is not Özil, Jesus or any other player, but Fenerbahce,” Jesus said at his first press conference at his new club.
On Tuesday, Özil was still professing his allegiance to Fenerbahce on social media. “I repeat emphatically: I will not end my career with any team other than Fenerbahce. As long as my contract runs, my only goal is to only sweat in our jersey. This decision is very clear and final,” he wrote.
Özil decided to move to his “childhood sweetheart” in January 2021 when he left Arsenal FC. He had achieved his career goal by signing “a 3.5-year contract with Fenerbahce without being paid for the first six months”.
