Mesut Ozil has revealed he cried when leaving Real Madrid for Arsenal in 2013, after a conflict between his father and agent and club president Florentino Perez derailed plans for a new contract.
Transfer tears
The Germany international joined the Gunners in a £43.5 million deal on deadline day but later admitted to being deeply upset by the move. “It was bad. I was very sad when I left Madrid,” Ozil recalled to Marca in 2023. “I had a great time for three years at Real Madrid and in this city. I was truly happy. But things happened.”
Ozil had signed for Real after starring at the 2010 World Cup, scoring 27 goals and providing 80 assists in 159 appearances. However, he began to lose playing time at the start of that season. “Suddenly, at the beginning of that season, I wasn't getting many minutes of playing time anymore, and there was a conflict between Mr Florentino Perez and my father and agent.”
Agent’s role
In his 2017 book The Magic of the Game, Ozil explained that his father Mustafa took over contract negotiations. “My father and I both had the goal of extending prematurely for a further year. My father then took over the negotiations. He contacted Florentino Perez and made appointments. It was not about greed. It was just a fair payment.”
But the talks broke down. “He did not know how to be placed under negotiation pressure in this form. He had not done dozens of negotiations with the biggest club managers... That is why he did not keep a cool head as it would probably have been important. In contrast to a man like Florentino Perez, who expects people to dance to his pipe, stubbornness was not appropriate. And it was not at all right for my father to leave the office and slam the door to Perez's office shut.”
Leaving Madrid
Ozil described the moment he departed. “The moment the plane took off and flew away, tears streamed down my face. That was the moment I realised it was over.” Asked if he would change his decision, he said: “At the time, it seemed fine to me, because after the conflict between my father and Mr Perez, I was worried I wouldn't get any playing time again if I didn't leave. So it's hard to say. But, of course, I wish we could have handled the situation differently back then.”
Ozil became an Arsenal icon, making 254 appearances and winning three FA Cups. He is not the most recent Real Madrid player to shine at the club, with Martin Odegaard later becoming Premier League-winning captain. The Gunners are now exploring a move for Vinicius Junior as he enters the final year of his Real Madrid deal.
