Mikel Arteta has made some brave decisions at Arsenal.
The Spaniard became the Gunners’ head coach in 2019 before being promoted to manager in the following year after winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Arteta has made Arsenal one of the best teams in the world, but early on, many of his decisions were questioned by fans, pundits and the media.
One of his first big calls involved Mesut Ozil, but people still rate the German very highly – just ask Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz.
Give us one sentence to decide: Mesut Ozil, overrated or underrated?
Florian Wirtz thinks Arsenal hero Mesut Ozil was better than Gareth Bale
Arsenal signed Ozil in a then-club-record deal from Real Madrid in 2013.
The German was one of the best midfielders in the world at the time, and signing him was viewed as a major statement by Arsene Wenger’s side back then.
Ozil helped Arsenal win three FA Cups in his first four years at the club. He definitely raised the level and was a joy to watch when he was at his best.
Wirtz, who is also an attacking midfielder, would’ve grown up watching Ozil in the German national team, and he seems to be a big fan.
In a video on Viaplay Sport Denmark’s TikTok, Wirtz took part in a game of winner stays on, and Ozil’s name came up.
The Liverpool star chose his compatriot over Peter Schmeichel, Gareth Bale, Jamie Carragher and also Eden Hazard, suggesting that the former Arsenal man was better.
Then, when Wirtz was asked to choose between Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo, he chose the latter, which is unsurprising.
What was your first reaction when Mikel Arteta axed Mesut Ozil at Arsenal? What do you think about that decision now?
Mesut Ozil has a new career after retiring from football
Ozil’s career at Arsenal ended after Arteta axed him from the squad in 2020.
The German was removed from the Premier League and Europa League squads and spent months away from the team. In January 2021, Arsenal terminated his contract and released him for free.
Ozil then had spells in Turkey, first with Fenerbahce and then with Istanbul Basaksehir. He retired from professional football in 2023 at the age of 34.
In February last year, the ruling AK party in Turkey announced that Ozil had transitioned into politics and named him as a member of the Central Decision and Management Board (Sky News).
He has been in that role since.
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