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A former Arsenal star made a return to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to watch his old team defeat Chelsea.
The 36-year-old, who spent eight years with the Gunners and played a key role in winning four FA Cups, left the club in 2021 under controversial circumstances following a dispute with manager Mikel Arteta. He retired from football two years later after a brief spell in Turkey.
Despite his departure, Mesut Ozil’s loyalty to Arsenal remains strong, and he was seen in the stands cheering as his former team secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea. The ex-midfielder even shared his excitement on Instagram, posting: “YaGunnersYa.”
Since retiring in 2023, Ozil has focused on fitness, undergoing a remarkable physical transformation through intense gym workouts — a change that has caught the attention of even Cristiano Ronaldo, his former teammate at Real Madrid. Ozil often shares glimpses of his training on social media.
In a surprising move, Ozil recently entered the world of politics. Last month, he was elected to Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His appointment to the party’s Central Decision and Executive Board was announced during a congress in Ankara, where Erdogan was re-elected as party leader for a ninth time.
Ozil, who ended his playing career in Istanbul, has long been a supporter of Erdogan and even chose him as best man for his wedding to former Miss Turkey, Amine Gulse, in 2019.
His relationship with Erdogan has sparked controversy in the past, especially after a photo surfaced of Ozil, Erdogan, and Ilkay Gundogan — another German player of Turkish descent — which led to criticism in Germany, including from far-right groups.
Ozil now joins 38 others as new members of the MYKY, a key decision-making body within the AKP. The party congress, attended by thousands of supporters, as well as representatives from 16 political parties across 13 countries, 62 ambassadors, and 34 mission delegates, celebrated Erdogan’s continued leadership.