MESUT OZIL has labelled Arsene Wenger ‘respectful, fair and honest’ – just a day after branding Arsenal ‘disloyal’.
The Gunners outcast posted an affectionate birthday message to his former boss but appeared to include a veiled dig at the North London club.
Mesut Ozil posted an affectionate birthday message to Arsene WengerCredit: AFP or licensors
Wenger turned 70 yesterday, and Ozil took to Twitter to wish him many happy returns.
The playmaker uploaded two pictures of Wenger planting kisses on the German after Arsenal matches.
And alongside the nostalgic snaps, the 32-year-old wrote: “Happy Birthday, boss!
“Thanks for all your trust and support you’ve given me from my first until your last day @Arsenal FC.
“Without a doubt one of the greatest managers in the Premier League history – always respectful, fair & honest. Wishing you all the best.”
The message came just a day after isolated Ozil released a statement blasting Arsenal’s lack of loyalty.
Ozil has been left out of the Gunners’ 25-man Premier League squad, AND the club’s Europa League group.
Arsenal are desperate to offload the £350,000-a-week star, but Ozil claims he is determined ‘not to let’ his time at the Emirates end like this.
After remaining silent on his exclusion, the attacker came out to two-foot his employers with his Instagram statement.
Having explained his ‘disappointment’ and ‘difficulty’ in writing the message to supporters, he soon got stuck into the club and boss Mikel Arteta.
The former Real Madrid man said: “Upon signing my contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated.
“As I have just found out, loyalty is hard to come by nowadays.”
Ozil continued: “Before the coronavirus break I was really happy with the development under our new coach Mikel Arteta – we’ve been on a positive way and I would say my performances were on a really good level.
“But then things changed, again, and I was not longer allowed to play football for Arsenal.”
Arsenal boss Arteta claimed Ozil has nobody to blame but himself before the Gunners’ 2-1 Europa League victory at Rapid Vienna last night.
And after the game, Ozil was offered a pundit role in the BT Sport studio when he revealed he watched the match on TV.
Earlier this month, Wenger opened up on the confrontation between Ozil and Arsenal saying more is going on behind the scenes.
And former Gunners defender Sol Campbell called the ex-German international ‘yesterday’s news’.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk