Mesut Ozil refused to be pulled into the debate surrounding the future of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal this summer, admitting that the club have to “decide” on that front.
After a season of many disappointments, none bigger than missing out on the Premier League title to Leicester City, Arsenal somehow managed to finish above bitter north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on the final day, as Mauricio Pochettino’s men fell to a surprising 5-1 defeat at already relegated Newcastle United.
That appeared to soften the blow for the fans, who were growing increasingly frustrated with Wenger as the campaign progressed. The Gunners were considered favourites for the title at the turn of the year, but a horrendous run of form cost them badly in the end, winning just eight Premier League games in 2016.
Defeats in the FA Cup and Champions League didn’t help matters either in the second half of the season, as the pressure really began to take its toll on Wenger and the team. For Ozil though, he’s steered clear of the debate regarding the manager’s future at the club, admitting that it’s not his place to add to the speculation.
“For me it’s important as a player that I concentrate, play football and that I do my best for the team and myself,” the 27-year-old told Sport360 when posed the question about Wenger. “I’m not telling something about the future of a manager, it’s not my work to tell this for the club, it’s for the club to decide about. It’s not for me to decide.”
The German international enjoyed his most productive season at the Emirates since moving from Real Madrid back in 2013, scoring six goals and creating 144 chances in 35 Premier League appearances, with a shot accuracy of 67% and an average pass accuracy of 87%.
As for Arsenal, they finished second on 71 points following their 4-0 win over Aston Villa at the weekend, one ahead of Spurs in third and 10 adrift of champions Leicester at the summit.
Ozil will now be preparing for Euro 2016 this summer, as Germany head to France looking to pick up their second major honour in two years after winning the World Cup in Brazil.
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