This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
German midfielder Mesut Ozil has been at the center of controversy at Arsenal, with manager Unai Emery freezing him out of the team.
Despite making just two appearances for the Gunners this campaign, Ozil has insisted that some of his critics' condemnation is not fair enough.
He has accused the club's board of using him as a scapegoat for the team's own problems, and has vowed to see out his contract until 2021.
When asked about his absence from the team, Ozil said, 'I have a contract until the summer of 2021 and I will be staying until then. When I signed the new deal, I thought about it very carefully and said it was one of the most important decisions of my footballing career.'
He also fired back at Arsenal fans for their reactions over his absence on matchdays due to illness, saying, 'I also get really frustrated when I miss a game through illness and people question if it is genuine. Yes, it happened a few times - usually in the winter - but what am I supposed to do? If you knew me, you would know it takes a lot for me to miss a game and I have never used sickness as an excuse.'
Emery had previously stated that Ozil was frozen out of the team because he thought other players deserved it more, saying, 'When I decided he shouldn't be in the squad it's because I think other players deserved it more.'
