Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has accused Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil of not understanding what is required from him when playing for the national team.
The former Germany international also criticised Ozil for not making an extra commitment to Germany after being pictured alongside Turkey President Recep Tayip Erdogan.
“I emphasise: I have no problem at all that Özil does not sing along with the anthem,” Matthaus stated in his column for the German outlet Bild.
“This is up to each player, whether he has German, Turkish or African roots.
“But what I have observed after the anthem in Moscow, made me very angry: 10 German players have waved into the audience, given the fans a sign. Only Özil didn’t.
“This makes it obvious to me: Özil doesn’t understand why there are such great discussions in Germany about him.
“He’s unaware of what people in Germany expect from a national player. It would have been right to make a commitment to Germany after the error of the Erdogan photo, to open to the fans.”
Ozil played the full 90 minutes during Germany’s defeat to Mexico on Sunday.
Joachim Low’s side suffered a 1-0 loss in their opening game and could be eliminated from the competition if they suffer another defeat against Sweden.
Despite making four key passes and maintaining a pass accuracy of 91%, Ozil has been singled out for criticism by several Germany legends and football pundits.
The 29-year-old played a starring role during Germany’s World Cup triumph back in 2014 and has racked up 23 goals in 91 caps.
Germany’s clash with Sweden will be played on Saturday evening, kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 (GMT).
