Mesut Özil misses self-criticism. But his attack on DFB President Reinhard Grindel contains a lot of truth: The German Football Association has failed in one of its most important tasks.
The dispute over the photos of footballers Ilkay Gündogan and Mesut Özil with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shortly before the World Cup has finally become the sign of a serious crisis of the German Football Association with the resignation of Özil from the national team.
It could be easy. One could say that Özil shows no self-criticism and sees only omissions of the recent weeks with media, sponsors, fans and federation, but not with himself. One could point out that Erdogan does not operate a democratic-pluralistic politics and a photo with him, how "unpolitical" Özil also wants to have understood, is always a political statement.
That could be done. What is striking about the reporting since the so-called Erdogan is, however, the matter of course, with which many pretend that there is a clear catalog of values to which all people involved in German football have to confess? In such a canon of values, apparently, proximity to Erdogan does not fit. Because freedom of expression is suppressed in Turkey because journalists and members of the opposition are imprisoned.
What freedom of expression means
In Germany, however, thinking is not given. Here is freedom of expression. And that applies to AfD supporters as well as football players and many Erdogan fans who live here. You can and must argue with them. But one must not exclude them because of their positions from the participation in the social life. In the criticism of Özil and Gündogan swung but from the beginning, that the two athletes were denied the "German". What a presumption
Who was responsible for this situation? The players who should "finally explain"? Or the largest sports federation in the world? Mesut Özil is a selection player of the DFB. But President Reinhard Grindel, who is criticized by him, is responsible for representing the almost seven million members of German football clubs. And as such, he must also protect the national team from inappropriate criticism.
More than 30 percent of the German population under the age of 20 have a migration background. In many cities, the proportion is significantly higher. Many play football. In addition to schools, sports clubs are central places where this must happen, which is often called "integration".
The defiance reaction
By this many people understand: "The" should become like "we". But should not it be about how "the" and "we" live well together? Many seem to see it differently. Because this is exactly the logic, after some fans of Özil an "apology" for his appearance with Erdogan demanded. But why should he apologize? He has not broken any laws, and the harsh criticism seems to have rather led him to a defiance reaction.
You do not have to like Özil for performing with Erdogan, you do not have to cheer him on. You can also think that's very awkward. But compared to the arbitrary idea of how this athlete should behave, the DFB should rather devote itself to another task: it should finally fill the values with which it shines in commercials and anti-racism actions, to life.
It would have belonged to respond quickly to the nature of the criticism of Özil and Gündogan.
And proactive, with clear statements. Instead, there were some PR appearances with Grindel and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, some confessions on plurality and values - and then nothing more. It would have been the job of the DFB, and especially its leadership, to recognize that the debate had gone beyond a PR issue - and that players should be protected.
A normality that is by no means accepted by Griezmann's previous club from the Spanish capital. The Rojiblancos are demanding from Barcelona a look-ahead of the EUR 80 million transfer, as it is "obvious" that the agreement between the player and FC Barcelona was closed before the exit clause was lowered from EUR 200 million to EUR 120 million has been". Atletico President Enrique Cerezo told the Catalan radio station RAC1: "If the club publishes this message, it will be because there is evidence, and we will investigate it and demand the amount that we deem necessary."
The World Federation Fifa, which initially did not comment on SID demand on the subject, was already turned on by the Madrilenians at the end of 2017. At that time Atlético lamented an "illegal contact" of FC Barcelona to Griezmann. The matter silted, Barca continued to compete unchecked for the European Championship top scorer of 2016 - until just before the 2018 World Cup in a highly meaningful TV documentary ("La Decision") let his heart speak for Atlético and the then Europa League winner signed a new five-year contract. After just one season now the change of heart, the Griezmann explained in a no less oversubscribed video clip on Friday on Barcelona's social media channels.
In an interview with the "Oh my Goal" portal, the 27-year-old offensive player twice called Barcelona's 6-1 win in the quarter-final second leg of the 2017 Champions League against PSG as the most noteworthy moment of his career - alongside the 2016 Olympic final won against Germany "We were all crazy after that, we could not have felt better." His father Santos assured, however, that the statements were torn from the context: "At no time he wanted to face PSG or the players disrespectful."
