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Mesut Ozil was the final member of 2014 FA Cup winning team to leave Arsenal… but where are they now?


MESUT OZIL finally ended his Arsenal saga in January when he moved to Turkey.

The German midfielder, 32, was been frozen out under Mikel Arteta for the best part of a year, despite collecting £350,000 a week.

Mesut Ozil left Arsenal for Fenerbahce in JanuaryCredit: Getty
Mesut Ozil celebrates with his Gunners team-mates at Wembley in 2014Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Ozil agreed to give up a chunk of his remaining salary in order to leave the club on good terms.

His departure meant he was the last of the 2014 FA Cup winners to leave the Emirates.

Ozil bid farewell to his Gunners team-mates and staff and it was current boss Arteta who captained the North Londoners to glory at Wembley seven years ago.

SunSport takes a look at what happened to all of Ozil’s fellow Cup winners after they mounted a comeback to beat Hull City 3-2 after extra time.

Lukasz Fabianski

Polish shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski left Arsenal as his contract expired in the summer after the FA Cup win. He joined Swansea where he spent four years before signing for West Ham for £7million in 2018.

The 36-year-old is now David Moyes’ No1 at the London Stadium and kept a clean sheet against Southampton at the weekend.

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Bacary Sagna

Another to leave the summer after winning the Cup, Bacary Sagna made 284 appearances for the Gunners in a seven-year spell.

He joined Manchester City on a free and told Goal last year: “I didn’t knock at the club’s door to change contract, I respected my contract, but the way I left was a bit dirty.

“I didn’t like it, I didn’t feel comfortable anymore. Something broke inside my head.”

Sagna retired from the game in 2020 after leaving Club de Foot Montreal.

Per Mertesacker

German giant Per Mertesacker finished his playing career at Arsenal in 2018 before being named head of the club’s academy.

He is coming up to three years in the role and previously filled in as an interim assistant coach to Freddie Ljunberg after Unai Emery was sacked in November 2019 and he now works as pundit for DAZN in his homeland.

Laurent Koscielny

Former skipper Laurent Koscielny angered Gooners by ripping off the Arsenal jersey in his unveiling at Bordeaux in 2019.

It took him a year for him to apologise to Arsenal fans in 2020.

The 36-year-old now captains the French club.

Arsenal’s players parade the 2014 FA Cup trophyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Kieran Gibbs

England international left-back Kieran Gibbs left Arsenal after a decade in North London in 2017.

He signed a four-year deal at West Brom with a transfer fee in the region of £7m and still turned out for Baggies last season.

This summer he moved to America to sign for Inter Miami.

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta captained the victorious Gunners from central midfield at Wembley nearly seven years ago.

He retired in 2016 and then spent three years as Pep Guardiola’s No2 at Manchester City before returning to the Emirates as manager in December 2019.

Aaron Ramsey

Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey made 371 appearances for Arsenal before leaving for Juventus on a free in 2019.

Ramsey earns a cool £400,000 a week in Serie A.

And despite speculation he would leave, the star remains in Italy..

Santi Cazorla

Spaniard Santi Cazorla left Arsenal in 2018 after a horrific Achilles tendon injury in 2016 looked like it could have ended his career.

Cazorla returned to Villarreal after eight operations and a skin grant and enjoyed something of a renaissance before signing for Qatari side Al Sadd in 2020, where he still plays.

Mesut Ozil

Ozil is the last of Arsenal’s 2014 FA Cup winners to move onCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Mesut Ozil did not play for Arsenal again after the 1-0 win over West Ham in March 2020 having been axed by Arteta – who left him out of both the Premier and Europa League 25-man squad last season.

He is now enjoying his football again in Turkey at Fenerbahce.

Lukas Podolski

German forward Lukas Podolski joined Galatasaray from Arsenal in 2015, before moving to Japanese side Vissel Kobe two years later.

The Polish-born star bagged 31 goals in 82 appearances for the Gunners and returned to Turkey with Antalyaspor.

This summer he headed to Poland to join Gornik Zabrze.

Off the pitch, the 36-year-old is quite the businessman after opening SIX Kebab shops in Germany – with hungry crowds flocking to try his meaty offerings.

He also owns a boozer, an ice cream parlour and a clothes shop as Podolski diversifies his income with a view to life post-football.

Lukas Podolski owns SIX Kebab joints in GermanyCredit: Getty – Contributor

Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud crossed London to join Chelsea from Arsenal in January 2018 and went on to win the World Cup with France that summer.

The 34-year-old haunted his old side with a goal and an assist in the 4-1 defeat in the 2019 Europa League final.

He left Chelsea after a lack of game time this summer for AC Milan after helping them to Champions League glory.

The Gunners celebrate overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Hull and lift the FA CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty

SUBS

Jack Wilshere

English midfielder Jack Wilshere left Arsenal for West Ham in 2018.

But he quit the Hammers in the summer after his £100,000-a-week contract was ripped up and signed a six-month contract at Bournemouth.

He is currently without a club.

Tomas Rosicky

Legendary Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky left Arsenal to return to boyhood side Sparta Prague in 2016.

He retired a year later and is now sporting director at the club.

Yaya Sanogo

Talented striker Yaya Sanogo left the Gunners for Toulouse in 2017.

But he was released by the French side in the summer after netting just 12 goals in three years is currently without a club after a short stint at Huddersfield in the Championship last season.

⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from The Emirates

Mesut Ozil makes trip to rainy Emirates to say ‘farewell’ after Arsenal ‘agree’ to terminate contract


Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk


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