Germany: Merkel 'respects' Ozil's contribution and decision to retire

Mesut Ozil's decision to retire from international football has to be respected, according to government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer, at a press conference in Berlin on Monday.
Demmer said Chancellor Angela Merkel respects Ozil as a player, who "has done a lot for the national team" and that his decision to retire "has to be respected".
"How the DFB will handle them, the resignation from the national team and the situation as a whole we leave to the DFB. It's not a question in the government press conference," she added Demmer.
Ozil retired from international football at the age of 29, citing 'disrespect, insults and pressure'. He and teammate Ilkay Gundogan were widely criticised for posing in a photograph alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with many questioning their loyalty to German 'values'.