Football
Reuters 6y

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil makes first public appearance since controversial Germany withdrawal

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil avoided any talk of the controversy surrounding his withdrawal from international football and has opted to focus on the club's preseason friendly tournament in Singapore.

Ozil, 29, quit the national side on Sunday citing "racism and disrespect" due to his Turkish roots as key to the decision after he was singled out for criticism when Germany bombed out of the recent World Cup in the group stages.

On Wednesday, making his first public appearance since his statement triggered a bad-tempered debate in Germany about relations with its largest immigrant community, Ozil was all smiles at a fan event in Singapore.

"It's very exciting to be in Singapore. It's our second time here and we really enjoy coming," he told a gathering of Arsenal fans a day ahead of a friendly against Atletico Madrid at the National Stadium. They also play Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

"We are expecting good matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. They are great teams with great players. It's a test for us to get ready for the new season, so it's something to look forward to."

Ozil was also criticised for meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, when the pair were photographed holding up an Arsenal shirt, and he has yet to comment on his withdrawal since he announced it through social media.

Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson and midfielder Alex Iwobi sat alongside Ozil at the fan event in Singapore, with Nelson said new coach Unai Emery had been very active in his first few training sessions with the club.

"Training has been good and Emery has been a major influence to what we are doing on the training ground," the 18-year-old England youth international said.

"He's looking to bring through the young players as well ... pushing them, so they will have a feeling they can shine under the new coach."

Emery, who has also managed Valencia, Sevilla and PSG, was brought in to replace Arsene Wenger after he ended his almost 22-year tenure last season.

Arsenal open the new Premier League campaign with a home fixture against champions Manchester City on Aug. 12.

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