Ozil hits out at critics trying to ‘make headlines’
Mesut Ozil has dismissed criticism of his Euro 2016 performances from former players trying to make headlines.
Mehmet Scholl was one ex-player who singled out Ozil after Germany’s uninspiring 0-0 draw with Poland, citing the Arsenal man’s body language as a hindrance to his country.
“To be honest, I don’t care what others say,” Ozil told Bild. “There will always be people who voice their opinion, mostly it’s negative. I don’t know if they have to say it or not. When a former player or whoever wants to make headlines, it just bounces off me.
“Like I said, the coach’s opinion matters: Mr Low tells me the truth.
“How much we run, how many springs, you can ask the Bundestrainer, I am always in the top five. The other thing is just personal, it’s aura. We are all in our own skin.
“I never wanted to prove anything, neither to me nor the people. It was always my goal to help the team. There’s a minority of fans and a few journalists who only measure me by how many goals I’ve scored or created. But a game lasts 90 minutes. And what I do there – the ground I cover, my passes, the chances I create – sometimes just does not interest. But to me it matters what the coach thinks of me.”
Ozil did actually set up Bastian Schweinsteiger’s goal in Germany’s 2-0 win over Ukraine.