Mesut Ozil has reportedly been banned from making a return to his former club because of his alleged political views. The former Arsenal and Real Madrid playmaker made over 600 career appearances and was a World Cup winner with Germany.
Ozil decided to hang up his boots two years ago, having last featured for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir. Even though he was born and raised in Germany, Ozil has long held an affiliation with Turkey, having been born to parents of Turkish descent.
So much so, since retiring from Football, Ozil has taken the surprise move to pursue a career in Turkish politics. Just last month Ozil was named on the ruling AK Party's Central Decision and Management Board, which is overseen by the country's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ozil and the Turkish leader have long held a strong relationship, with Erdogan the best man at the ex-footballer's wedding held in Istanbul six years ago. Prior to that, Ozil had retired from the German national team following criticism he received after meeting with Erdogan in London while he was on the books of Premier League side Arsenal.
As per a report from German outlet Bild, Werder Bremen said: "We have agreed with Diego not to invite Mesut due to his recent actions, which do not represent the club's values."
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