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Commenting on recent complaints from Mesut Ozil, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated:
“Everyone is free to express their feelings. What can I say from my side? It’s just a football decision, that my conscience is very clear, because I was very fair with him. My level of communication with him has been very high , “We know what to expect from each other. When I think he could contribute to making the team better, that’s why they hired me in this football club, to become the manager, to win football matches, competitions and create and build a short, medium project long term. He has had the opportunity like everyone else. I am saddened that I had to leave three players off this list, which is never pleasant, but I just have to say that I tried to look everyone in the eye and feel comfortable. With Mesut, I had this feeling because I have been very simple since I came to this club.
Is Ozil leaving before his contract ends? That is not the stage we are in. Obviously a player of that dimension, with the career he has had internationally and everything, everything that happens around him has a great impact. It has been the case for the last eight years. It is nothing new, it is nothing that is happening now, a lot has been happening during these eight years. My job is to get the best out of each player, to contribute to the team and to performance. Here I feel that at this moment, today, I have failed because I want the best Mesut possible for the team. At times I was able to get close to that, but at other times I couldn’t because I had to make the decision to leave him out of the squad. This is the reality in football, that anything can happen and that I have learned over the years. This is reality and we have to face it. The best way to deal with it is to talk things out face to face and do it the right way. That’s how I am and that’s how I will continue to do so.
Honestly, I take full responsibility. I have to be the one who brings out the best in the players. It’s my responsibility and again, it has nothing to do with anything, any behavior or things like the ones I read about, like pay cuts. Not true, it’s my decision. If someone has to blame me, and that will happen when we lose football games, it is my responsibility. I have to make the decision to get the best possible squad to win football matches and competitions as often as possible. For this I try to be fair with him and with the rest of the players in the squad to defend, as far as possible, the interests of the football club.
Is Ozil acting? Listen, I can’t talk about the individual performances of each player. Here, also with Mesut, I feel pain when I have to leave the players out. Believe me It’s the same when I had to do it with Papa (Sokratis) and the fact that Willian is not here with us after he joined the club, because of the restrictions we have with the competition. As you can understand, I cannot reveal the technical decisions about whether I play with players or not.
He has been training with us, he is involved in the routines of our team. We hope you train and do the best you can. We have to treat it [well] and I have to try to keep him as motivated as possible, which is obviously difficult in these circumstances. We will move on from here. Anyway, his statement did not surprise me.
Players who were told they weren’t going to be selected, of course, showed some disappointment, to say the least. They are professional footballers and they want the opportunity to work with the right motivation to try to achieve the possibility of playing, and when that does not happen it is difficult. But, like I said, I’d rather have those difficult face-to-face conversations, explain the reasons, and watch things change over time.
I am not very focused on what happened in the past, and you will know me more, but in the last six years, many of the things that happened, I did not do. Remember that the atmosphere around him when I joined was quite difficult. I asked our fans to support it and create a much better environment and you remember and remember that you could see the difference at Emirates Stadium in two to three weeks. And that was a way in my opinion to support a player and pursue the interests of the football club as much as possible. But then I have to see on a daily basis, the contribution, the performance and what each player brings to the team, and from there I make the decision because I am the coach and I have to choose the right players to win football matches.
Anyway, I’m not mad at Mesut, because they probably need to clarify the situation too and I understand that, and I’m here to answer your question. But I don’t want to hide behind anyone at the club or on the property. At the end of the day, we are talking about a player who plays on that field or not. I believe that we will fulfill all the obligations that we have in a football club, and then it is my responsibility to bring out the best in the players and get the performances we need to play football matches. But believe me, it has nothing to do with the board, the owners or anything like that ”.
Here are some of Ozil’s words, including his original post on Twitter: https://www.transfermarketweb.com/?action=read&idsel=209928
Source: transfermarketweb.com
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