[ad_1]
Mikel Arteta responds in a war of words with Mesut Ozil’s agent when Arsenal chief insists the £ 350,000-a-week outcast ‘has to be held accountable’ for failing to meet the standards he has set, just days later from being called ‘dishonest’ by the star’s exile
- Mesut Ozil’s agent harshly criticized Mikel Arteta for the treatment he gave his client
- Dr. Erkut Sogut accused Arteta of dishonesty on the reasons for Ozil’s exile
- Ozil has been left out of the club’s Premier League and Europa League squads
- However, Arteta responded and insisted that he remained honest with the team.
Mikel Arteta responded to Mesut Ozil’s agent after the Arsenal manager was accused of “dishonest” because of his dealings with the expensive outcast.
The £ 350,000-a-week playmaker was not inducted into the club’s Premier League or Europa League squads in an explosive move that ends his time on the pitch until at least January.
Dr. Erkut Sogut, Ozil’s representative, soon made a strong defense of his client and criticized Arteta for how the situation had developed.
Mikel Arteta responded to the criticism of Mesut Ozil’s agent after being accused of dishonesty
Dr. Erkut Sogut (right) has criticized Arsenal’s head coach for his treatment of outcast Mesut Ozil
And the heated war of words has now continued with Arteta insisting that he has remained “honest” about the reasons behind Ozil’s forced absence.
Ahead of his team’s clash with Leicester on Sunday, Arteta said, via The Mirror: ‘If you have to lead, they have to trust you. For them to trust you, you must be honest.
‘You have to be clear and you have to be able to tell people, face to face, the good news and the bad news.
So you have to be consistent in what you say, the demands you make and what you apply.
Ozil was left out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League teams in a bomb move
“When things happen, you applaud them and then when they don’t, there are consequences. So you create a culture and within that culture people have to be responsible.
“People have to step up and they have to demand the standards that we need from each other for this football club to be successful.”
Sogut’s withering criticism led Arteta to admit that he had not “failed” to ensure that all players performed at their best.
But Arteta’s comments did nothing to quench Sogut’s fury, with the World Cup winner’s agent telling ESPN: ‘Arsenal fans deserve an honest explanation, not [Arteta] saying, “I failed Ozil.”
The 32-year-old, who makes £ 350,000 a week, cannot play at the senior level until January.
Sogut believes the club’s fanbase deserves to know the truth behind why Ozil was frozen.
“You didn’t fail Ozil.” You failed to be fair, honest and transparent and to treat with respect someone who has a contract and was loyal all the time. ‘
Ozil has not been part of Arsenal since March, although Arteta stressed that the absence of the former Real Madrid player was due solely to football reasons.
As reported by Sportsmail, Ozil is convinced that his criticism of China’s alleged mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims influenced the decision to force him into exile.
Arsenal has a considerable commercial interest in the nation.
Ozil had criticized Arsenal for lack of ‘loyalty’ in a statement, but failed to blame Arteta
The 32-year-old’s behavior has also been questioned during the lockdown, with Ozil criticized on multiple fronts for refusing to accept a pay cut at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The midfielder is believed to have chosen not to reach an agreement due to a lack of clarity on how the money would be spent.
After it emerged that Ozil would probably not play for the north London club again, Ozil issued a statement criticizing Arsenal for their lack of loyalty.
However, he stopped the opportunity to blame Arteta.
