Former Germany international Mesut Özil has called on FIFA to lift its ban on Russian national teams and clubs, arguing that world football’s governing body applies a double standard compared to its treatment of Israel. Tagesspiegel reported the remarks on Wednesday, which came at the conclusion of an exhibition veteran fixture between Istanbul club İstanbul Başakşehir and Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg that ended in a 3-2 victory.

Özil Urges Equal Treatment From FIFA

The 38-year-old former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the match, pointing to the historical unifying power of the sport while criticizing regulatory inconsistencies at the administrative level.

“I want to say the following: football has always brought peace,” Özil said, according to the Tagesspiegel report. “As long as we do not pay attention to race or religion there, the sports world has always kept people together. As is known and as you know, FIFA has not imposed sanctions on Israeli teams, but it has against Russian teams.”

Özil directly addressed the governing body during his remarks, appealing for a change in policy. “Here I would like to appeal to, how does one say, FIFA,” he said. “Hopefully they will stop measuring with two different standards and treat everyone equally. Therefore, I thank you all for this organization.”

Context of International Football Bans

Global sports changed dramatically following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022. In March of that year, FIFA and European football governing body UEFA issued joint decisions suspending all Russian national teams and clubs from participation in international competitions until further notice.

Following the October 7, 2023 attacks led by Hamas against Israel and the subsequent military campaign in Gaza, international sports bodies faced renewed scrutiny regarding their application of political neutrality rules.

Özil Sorgte Mit Politischen Statements Für Aufsehen

Özil, der Weltmeister von 2014 ist, hat in der Vergangenheit mehrfach mit politischen Statements für Aufsehen gesorgt. Two years prior to his remarks in Istanbul, the former Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen playmaker shared an image on Instagram depicting a map of Israel with the nation’s name crossed out and replaced with the word “Palestine.”