The curious case of Özil and Wenger's phone call

Posted Friday, September 06, 2013 by Marca.com

Strangely enough, Mesut Özil claims that Arsène Wenger's profession of faith in his ability during the pair's phone call was key to his decision to sign for Arsenal. This, against the backdrop of his recent friction with Ancelotti, who supposedly "didn't believe" in the German. So let's get this straight: after three years in a Real Madrid shirt, during which he was a fixture in the side and developed both on and off the pitch, he was happy to throw all that away after one phone call? Arsène Wenger must be quite the charmer! Or could it be that Özil and his father, Mustafa, already had their minds made up for other reasons?

Let's call a spade a spade. It is a shame to say goodbye to any player of Özil's calibre. But when a player (who, lest you forget, still had years to run on his contract) decides to leave a club like Real Madrid, that is down to him and his whims/emotional needs/unrest. Ultimately, players call the shots, particularly when a club like Arsenal comes calling with a €45-50 million package. And that's all fine and dandy, but people should at least tell it how it is.

Being lured by higher wages is human and understandable, even when your name is Mesut Özil and you already earn a fortune. But if your commitment to staying is real (no pun intended), no telephone call can shake that – especially if you're under contract.

True as it may be that Bale's arrival means added competition and Ancelotti was asking for more from Özil, the German had still started two league games out of three (only being subbed off with 25 minutes or so remaining), so where does lack of faith come into it? Özil choosing money over success on the pitch is another kettle of fish, however, and on that count, he certainly looks set to get what's coming to him.