Mesut Ozil - lost in the middle of football

Ozil's talent was soon revealed in the Schalke 04 shirt before going to Werder Bremen and then shining continuously in the Bundesliga. In 2009, when Germany won the European Under-21 Championship for the first time, this wide-eyed midfielder was the standout individual. At the World Cup a year later, Ozil really came into the light of the world football stage when Germany won a bronze medal in South Africa.

Germany hit four goals against Australia in the group stage, before scoring the same number of goals against England and Argentina in the knockout stages. Ozil has always been at the center of quick counter-attacks, and even scored a stunning goal against Ghana in the group stage. It is a modern German team, completely different from their image at Euro 2008 and showing for the first time in many years a fresh, attractive play. Ozil, in the position of a number 10, is seen as a representative representative of that young, talented group.

"Watching Ozil play at his peak is a great experience," commented The Athletic. Few of his contemporaries could smell the void like he did. Ozil also constantly adjusts his position based on the opponent. If the central defender is tight, he will find a way to back down. If he hits a defensive midfielder, he will go forward. Ozil always knows how to pull opponents out of position to create space and opportunities for his teammates, often having quick runs into the middle to help wingers squeeze inside to finish.

The period when Ozil was most sublimated was associated with Real, during the period when coach Jose Mourinho led this team. At the time he said: "Ozil is unique. There are no copies of him - not even ugly copies. He is the best No. 10 in the world right now." Mourinho also ranked Ozil on the same level as legendary midfielders like Luis Figo, Zidane.

During the three years under Mourinho, Ozil played in a free role when operating in the center and left wing, often creating dreamy balls for Cristiano Ronaldo or running to create space for the Portuguese superstar. . In El Clasico matches, Mourinho did not favor Ozil, but chose a three-midfield formation, but the German midfielder was always his preeminent playmaker in the way Juan Mata - a star in the same position and famous up at the same time - incomparable. The biggest difference between Ozil and Mata is the speed when counter-attacking.

But with the move to the Premier League in the summer of 2013, Ozil missed the opportunity to touch European glory - something Real won in four of the following five seasons. His time at Arsenal started off great but gradually turned into a drama full of nuances: from a dazzling start as the team's record-priced player, to an outstanding first half of 2015-16. , a bad second half of the season, four FA Cups, erratic form under Unai Emery, a period of estrangement by Mikel Arteta and the frustrations on social media when not being selected.

Over time, Ozil was remembered as more of a media figure than his contributions to Arsenal on the pitch. But on good days, Ozil can shine like the best midfielder in the world. And the way people remember Ozil is based entirely on his taste in football: do you prefer a technical genius or a player who puts in a lot of effort?

Ozil's supporters can point to his enduring form at the national team tournaments, especially the 2014 World Cup winning campaign. Ozil not only played well at the major tournaments in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 but also holds the record for receiving the Best German Player of the Year award. Between 2011 and 2016, Ozil received the award five times, more than any other countryman. At the national team level, Ozil is an outstanding player.

But in a way, this also points to his limitations. National football is different from club level, where players practice together for more than nine months a year instead of just gathering together for a few weeks. Level football is slower, less centered around pressing, less complex passing requirements and individuals have more ground to shine. It suits Ozil and his demeanor, but lags behind modern football at club level by a decade.

At club level, Ozil is not as successful as with the national team. The fact that Real only really flourished in Europe when he left and Gareth Bale arrived is a proof of Ozil's incompetence. At Arsenal, Ozil did not match with Olivier Giroud. The French striker is the type of player who likes to approach the area with the ball to catch the ball for other players to run past him. Ozil always likes other players to run to poke holes. Giroud is not an attacking player who likes to slip behind defense, and neither is Ozil, leading to conflict.

Without the ball, Ozil is not the type of player to be industrious. In certain matches, he did not participate in defense when assigned with midfielders or full-backs. Ozil is not only a lack of active participation in pressing the opponent but also a fatal weakness when being pressed in reverse. In the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in February 2014, he was one of Arsenal's worst players with two losses leading to a goal. Arsenal started the match as top of the table but were quickly swept away by an energetic, enthusiastic Liverpool.

The only scorer for Arsenal that day was Mikel Arteta - who later became Ozil's coach. Despite trying to give his former team-mate a chance when he first came to power, Arteta still realized that moments of genius were not enough to make up for Ozil's weaknesses on the field.

And when Arteta finally broke with Ozil, no other top coach reached out to save him. He returned to his parents' homeland - Turkey - to compete in the hope of finding joy, but was unsuccessful. When Ozil retired, Basaksehir - the last team he played for - was still a strange name to the majority of the world football-loving public.

Ozil is a player of paradoxes. From a modern construction player suddenly became an old-fashioned person. Likes to create but not the type of player of the team. Is a speed counter-attacking midfielder, but is left behind by the speed of the game. He is indeed a man with a desirable number of assists, but is also considered "cannot be judged by stats alone". He was the outstanding German player of his generation, but became out of step by the way of total pressing football, partly influenced by German football itself.

And that's what makes Ozil even more interesting. An outsider, a shunned genius, perhaps unjustly judged in his time and at times even on the team he served.

In an article after Ozil announced his retirement yesterday, British newspaper The Athletic commented: "In the early 2010s, Ozil was likened to a future playmaker, but he ended the decade like this. an old-fashioned player. Life is fast-paced and football's evolution is even more so."