Photo: Malatyaspor Wear Mesut Ozil T-Shirts With The Arsenal Star’s Face On & Anti-Racism Message Before Friendly

Malatyaspor took on Gazisehir Gaziantep in a pre-season friendly tonight at the Malatya stadium.

But this was not your standard friendly, it had a twist.

The Malatyaspor side took to the field wearing t-shirts with Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil’s face on, alongside the message, “We are all with you, say no to racism.”

The love is real ?
Malatyaspor wore Mesut Ozil t-shirts before tonight’s friendly with the message. ‘We are all you, say no to racism’ ?⚪️ pic.twitter.com/voVy3IbDrf

— Turkish Football (@Turkish_Futbol1) August 4, 2018

See More: German When He Wins, Immigrant When He Loses – Why Arsenal Star Mesut Ozil Retired From International Football & What Lessons Need To Be Learnt

Malatyaspor also released a statement on their official website last week condemning racism and the way Ozil has been treated.

The reason behind the gesture was to support Ozil after quitting the Germany national side, citing racism and discrimination as the factors behind his decision.

The playmaker shared a three-part statement on his social media channels explaining his decision.

Ozil was born in Germany but has Turkish heritage and is a popular celebrity in Turkey.