Former Arsenal and Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil retires from football at age 34
Mesut Ozil, the former midfielder for Arsenal, Real Madrid, and the German national team, has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.
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Over the course of his career, Ozil won nine trophies, including four FA Cups and the Spanish La Liga title in 2012.
He also played in 92 matches for Germany and was part of the squad that won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Ozil expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to play professionally for nearly 17 years but said that injuries and other factors led him to the decision to leave the sport.
He began his career with Schalke and Werder Bremen before joining Real Madrid in 2010 and then moving to Arsenal in 2013.
Despite a period of being out of favour with the team under new coach Unai Emery, Ozil returned to play for the Gunners under interim boss Freddie Ljungberg and Mikel Arteta.
He eventually transferred to Fenerbahce and then Istanbul Basaksehir, where injuries limited his appearances.
Ozil won multiple accolades throughout his career, including being named Germany player of the year five times, and was part of the German national team that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, as well as winning the 2014 World Cup.
