Germany International, Mesut Ozil has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34.
The World Cup winner posted an emotional statement on Wednesday morning on his verified social media channels.
Ozil’s career tailed of somewhat in recent years, but he’ll go down as one of the finest playmakers of the modern era.
The German burst onto the scene at the 2010 World Cup, with his dazzling displays earning him a big-money move to Real Madrid.
Ozil proved to be a big hit in the Spanish capital, assisting goals for fun in the famous white jersey.
And his understanding with Cristiano Ronaldo really was something to behold.
During their three years playing together in Madrid, the duo were terrifyingly good.
As such, Ronaldo was absolutely fuming when Los Blancos decided to sell Ozil to Arsenal in the summer of 2013.
“The sale of Ozil is very bad news for me,” he reportedly told his Portugal teammates at the time, per Spanish newspaper AS. “He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal… I’m angry about Ozil leaving.”
Ozil & Ronaldo: One of modern football’s greatest duos
Teams really had no answer to Ozil and Ronaldo between 2010 and 2013.
In La Liga across those three seasons (2010/11 to 2012/13), the former recorded 54 assists and the latter scored a ridiculous 110 goals.
Absurd numbers, truly absurd.
And in the wake of Ozil’s unexpected retirement, a Ronaldo fan account on Twitter has posted a brilliant video which showcases the lethalness of their partnership.
Needless to say, it’s earned some serious numbers on the social media platform…
They were so, so good. Real Madrid’s call to sell Ozil in his absolute prime remains a complete mystery.
A few years after joining Arsenal, Ozil touched on his relationship with Ronaldo and labelled the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as one of football’s greats.
“He is amazing with both feet – not just right, like Santi [Cazorla],” Ozil told Arsenal’s official website.
“I really enjoyed playing with him because he made me better on the pitch, he’s a good guy and a good friend.
“Of course I gave a lot of my assists to him, and he knows that! But I really enjoyed playing with him because he doesn’t need a lot of chances – if I give him two chances, he scores two. He’s amazing and one of the greatest footballers in history.”
