Germany president apologises to Arsenal star

German national team president Reinhard Grindel has apologised to Mesut Ozil. Ozil came under fire before the tournament in Russia began after posing for photographs with controversial Turkey president Recep Erdogan. Following Germany’s shocking World Cup early exit the midfielder decided to retire from international football. Germany legend Lothar Matthaus claimed afterwards that the national team "would not miss" as he wasn’t playing well. But now Grindel has come out to apologise to Ozil for his words. Speaking in an interview with Bild, Grindel said: "Regarding the racist attacks, I could have taken a clearer position at some points and stood by Mesut Özil. "I should have been clear with my words. Such attacks are completely unacceptable. I regret that he felt deserted by the DFB. It is important to say though, that I said nothing about his sporting performance after the World Cup. For me, it was obvious that we win together and lose together. To make an individual player responsible for our exit would be absurd. "After the photos with President Erdogan, Ilkay Gundogan clearly and understandably made a statement. I would have liked the same from Ozil, because I know from conversations with fans that they too had questions on the matter. That must not be misinterpreted as criticism of his sporting performance. I would have liked such an explanation even if we ended up winning the World Cup."

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