Mesut Ozil has been banned from visiting his former side Werder Bremen because of “recent actions” that “do not represent the values of the club”.
The Bundesliga side is organizing a “farewell match” this Saturday for popular former player Diego Ribas.
The Brazilian, 40, blinding crowds during his three years at Werder between 2006 and 2009.
Several of his former teammates have been invited to participate, but not dearly.
The former Germany International played with Diego during the 2008-09 season.
So his name is a remarkable omission of this weekend's festivities.
Per Bild, a Werder spokesperson said: “We were agreed with Diego not to invite Mesut because of his recent actions that do not represent the values of the club.”
Since he hangs his boots, Ozil has become involved in politics.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the best man at the Ozil wedding in 2019.
Ozil, whose parents are Turkish, was mentioned in the central decision and administration for Erdogan's Justice and Development Party.
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The former midfielder, who now has a colossal Bodybuilder's frame, has also drawn eyebrows with a new tattoo on his chest.
The tattoo seems to have a gray wolf with three half moon -moon – symbols that are often associated with right wing extremism.
The Gray Wolves group is a controversial Turkish extreme right-wing movement.
Forbidden in France and Austria, the gray wolves have been associated with various high -profile crimes, including the attempted murder in 1981 by Pope John Paul II.
Ozil's team of representatives did not comment when the Telegraph was asked if the tattoo of their customer was a direct reference to the Gray Wolves organization.
Turkey International Merih Demiral was banned last summer for two UEFA games for his “Gray Wolf” celebration that was performed during Euro 2024.
Demiral saw the gesture raise the index and pink from every hand above his head.
At the time, UEFA claimed that the prohibition was handed over to Demiral “to violate the basic rules of decent behavior, for the use of sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for discrediting football”.
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