Özil calls for lifting of football sanctions against Russia

Mesut Özil's appearance in the veteran match between Başakşehir FK from Istanbul and Zenit St. Petersburg (3:2) was overshadowed by a political message: The 38‑year‑old former German international called for the lifting of football sanctions against Russia. He spoke on Wednesday on the sidelines of the game and included Israel in his argument.

Özil's appeal to FIFA

"Football has always brought peace. As long as we don't focus on race or religion there, the sporting world has always kept people together," said Özil, emphasizing that FIFA has not imposed sanctions on Israeli teams, but has already done so on Russian ones. In a second sentence he appealed: "Here I would like to, yes, how do you say, appeal to FIFA. Hopefully they will stop measuring with a double standard and treat everyone equally."

The former professional of Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid and Arsenal thanked the organization for its attention and called for uniform rules for all nations.

Özil urges FIFA to end the Russian ban after the Israel comparison

Political background of the player

Özil has already caused a stir several times with political statements. Two years ago he posted on Instagram a map of Israel with the country name crossed out and the word "Palestine" underneath.

After the Russian attack on Ukraine in March 2022, FIFA and the European football union UEFA decided to exclude all Russian teams from international competitions. This decision forms the background for Özil's current demand.

On 7 October 2023 a Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war; Israel responded with a massive military operation that was also internationally criticised. These events were mentioned by Özil in connection with his request for uniform sporting treatment.