01 March 2023 , 19:24
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Mesut Ozil once called Mikel Arteta a team-mate at Arsenal and by all accounts the pair got along just fine, but that did not remain the case once the latter become manager.
Arteta, keen to make an impression in what was his first job in senior management, demanded maximum effort from each and every player within his squad at all times. As soon as it became clear he felt Ozil couldn't give him that, the mercurial midfielder was shown the door in brutal fashion.
Arsenal did not exactly give Ozil a dignified exit, instead omitting him from their 25-man Premier League squad in late 2020. It inspired a lengthy statement from the former Germany international, who took to Instagram to take aim at the club he spent seven-and-a-half years at.
"I'm really deeply disappointed by the fact that I've not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being," he wrote. "Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated.
"As I have just found out, loyalty is hard to come by nowadays."
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Ozil did not hold back, but his post just one day later felt more pointed at Arteta. The ex-Arsenal playmaker went public with a happy birthday post to former boss Arsene Wenger and highlighted the kind of qualities in the Frenchman that it was clear he felt the Spaniard in charge nowadays lacked.
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Mikel Arteta omitted Mesut Ozil from his 25-man Premier League squad in late 2020 (PA)"Happy Birthday, Boss! Thanks for all your trust and support you've given me from my first until your last day at Arsenal," Ozil wrote.
"Without a doubt one of the greatest managers in Premier League history - always respectful, fair and honest. Wishing you all the best!"
It was a message as subtle as Ozil's 'trust the process' tweet after Arsenal were battered 5-0 away at Manchester City in August 2021.
However, fast forward more than two years and it is Arteta who has had the last laugh. The 40-year-old has guided the Gunners to the top of the Premier League with just two months of the season left and has a squad full of players fully invested in his every word.
A number of the current crop have come out and praised their boss, citing his fairness and honesty as positive traits and admitted Arteta is quick to tell them when they aren't operating at the level required.
In contrast, things couldn't have gone much worse for Ozil since his Arsenal exit. Originally departing the Emirates for boyhood club Fenerbahce, the World Cup winner endured a two-year spell littered with injury and inconsistent form.
Mesut Ozil's time at Fenerbahce underwhelmedHis time at Fenerbahce met a similar end to his Arsenal chapter, with Ozil being excluded from the squad for rumoured a verbal altercation with then-interim manager Ismail Kartal.
Last summer, having been exiled by his childhood team, Ozil joined İstanbul Basaksehir but has flattered to deceive there as well.
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Struggling for fitness and form, there were even reports recently that the 34-year-old was considering hanging up his boots for good. Perhaps Arteta could sense the imminent decline.