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Fenerbahçe professional Mesut Özil
Photo:
OZAN KOSE / AFP
Mesut Özil smiles into the camera on the right.
On the left, the former Turkish professional soccer player Rıdvan Dilmen does the same.
Between them: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish President is in the center of the picture that Özil posted on his Instagram account on Saturday evening.
According to the post, the trio had "football talks".
Dilmen is a legend at Özil's current club Fenerbahçe and one of Özil's close confidants in Turkey.
At first there was no further information about the meeting.
Özil as a political issue
Özil and Erdoğan, the football star of Turkish origin and the Turkish President - Özil shared a photo of the two as early as 2018.
This was followed by discussions about the proximity of the German world champion from 2014 to the controversial president, a resignation from the national team, accusations of racism against the DFB, which at the time did not give a good picture in dealing with the fierce criticism of Özil.
Özil became a political issue.
How close Özil and Erdoğan were, became clear in the summer of 2019 at the latest, when the president was the best man at Özil's wedding with Amine Gülşe.
The current picture of the two suggests that nothing has changed.
On the jump again?
Özil is currently in the service of the Turkish capital club Fenerbahçe.
His move from the London Premier League club Arsenal FC at the beginning of the year caused a hype in his grandparents' country.
There is not much left of it now.
At his club he was only used sporadically, was injured for a long time and is currently out due to groin problems.
Coach Vítor Pereira repeatedly praises his captain for his qualities, but he often plans on the field without the 33-year-old.
Rumors that he wants to leave the club are mounting.
From the player's environment, however, it can be heard that Özil, who has long been active as a businessman in Turkey, is not ready to leave Istanbul again.
His contract with Fenerbahçe runs until 2024.
sak
