Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has alleged that the north London club effectively shut him out after he publicly condemned China's treatment of Uighur Muslims in December 2019.
The 37-year-old made the claims while speaking at the Leadership in the Age of Confusion Summit earlier this week, stating that his social media post criticising the persecution of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang province led directly to his departure from the Emirates.
Ozil asserted that Arsenal "closed the doors" on him following the controversial post, ultimately forcing him to train in isolation for eight months before his contract was mutually terminated in January 2021.
The original social media post saw Ozil speak out against the persecution of fellow Muslims in the north-western region of Xinjiang.
Mesut Ozil insists Arsenal froze him over after 'speaking out' on Uighur Muslims controversy
|GETTY
At the time, Arsenal moved to distance themselves from their midfielder's remarks, issuing a statement on Chinese platform Weibo clarifying that the club does not engage in political matters.
Despite the controversy, Ozil continued to feature for the Gunners in the immediate aftermath, making 13 appearances before the coronavirus pandemic brought football to a halt in March 2020.
However, upon the sport's resumption, the former Germany international found himself completely excluded from Mikel Arteta's squad.
Speaking at the summit, Ozil reflected on his decision to speak out despite anticipating the consequences.
Mesut Ozil has publicly condemned China's treatment of Uighur Muslims in the past
| GETTY"I heard about Uighur Turks and then I made my research," he explained.
"Then, of course, as a star, I had a voice. And I knew also if I post something about this kind of thing, I will get in trouble.
"But I didn't care. I posted and I am happy."
The former playmaker described how the club responded: "So, of course, they closed on me the doors. They didn't let me play anymore."
Ozil also acknowledged the awkward position his teammates found themselves in, noting they risked trouble by maintaining contact with him and had their own families to consider.
The World Cup winner spoke candidly about the personal toll of his exile from the first team.
Mesut Ozil won the FA Cup four times during his time at Arsenal | PA"Of course, I had difficult times because you know I was enjoying playing football. They just took it away from me," he said. "Because I was out of the squad, I was training by myself for eight months."
However, Ozil credited his family with helping him through the ordeal.
"So I was happy that I had my wife next to me and also my child, because it was really tough times for me," he added.
The former midfielder urged young people to find strength in family, insisting that such support enables new opportunities to emerge.