Mesut Ozil has admitted signing for Arsenal in the summer of 2013 reduced him to tears as he embarked on his north London venture. Following a difficult season with Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, Ozil has announced his retirement just two years on from his departure from the Emirates Stadium after a fractured end to his Gunners career.
Opening up on certain aspects of his playing days, the 34-year-old revealed he "started to cry" upon embarking for English shores having been "really happy" at Real Madrid. "I was very sad when I left Madrid. I remember that at the airport. When the plane in which I was leaving Madrid took off, I started to cry," he told Spanish newspaper Marca.
"I was really happy [at Real], but things happened. Suddenly, at the beginning of that season, I no longer had many playing minutes and a conflict arose between Mr Florentino Perez and my father and agent.
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"We had to look for a new club. It was hard for me. The moment the plane took off, tears fell from my eyes. That was the moment I realised it was over... Of course, I wish we could have handled the situation at that time differently."
After spells with Schalke and Werder Bremen in Germany, Ozil joined Los Blancos in 2010, and was a regular under Jose Mourinho. Across three seasons in the Spanish capital, he played 159 games and won three trophies - including a La Liga title.
However, it was his personal accolades that truly grabbed the attention of Europe's elite sides, having been the La Liga assist leader for three straight seasons, and the European assist leader in his debut campaign. His time at Madrid came to an end as Arsenal secured his services for £42.5million in 2013.
He helped spearhead the Gunners to four FA Cups with his playmaking prowess, although failed to take the north Londoners to the next level in the Premier League as their search for a first league title passed him by. Eventually, he was deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Mikel Arteta in the summer of 2020, and was eventually released from his contract the following January.
In his absence, Arteta's side have truly kicked-on with his young team currently sitting eight points clear at the summit of England's top division. While the Spaniard failed to harbour a personal relationship with the former Germany international, Ozil opened up on how life changed for him after Arsene Wenger vacated the managerial position.
"The first years were very good," he recalled. "We played in the Champions League, we had a great team with great players and an incredible coach like Arsene Wenger. He was a true gentleman.
"He was always very respectful. When he left the club, something was missing. We had a great relationship and I feel privileged that he was my manager at Arsenal. After he left the club, many things changed for me. But I have no interest in adding fuel to the fire again."
Despite any ill fillings he may possess, Ozil has shown his support for the Gunners' title tilt, and paid tribute to the club's fans. "Now I am relaxed and I wish the best to the Arsenal fans, who have always been very supportive of me," he added.
"I would be happy for them if they could celebrate the Premier League title. They deserve it!"
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