Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Mesut Ozil makes shock career change after retirement

Mesut Ozil has made a drastic change in career by swapping football for politics.

The former Germany international played for various European sides including Real Madrid and Arsenal before retiring in 2023.

Ozil is regarded as one of the greatest playmakers of all-time after he assisted 258 goals for club and country at senior level.

However, he has now been elected to the Justice and Development Party [AK Party], who have ruled Turkey since 2002.

The 36-year-old played for Germany in his professional football career but both of his parents are Turkish.

On Sunday, Ozil joined the AK Party's Central Decision and Executive Board after a congress in the capital Ankara.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is one of the founders of the party and has had the long-term support of the former footballer.

Ozil was pictured with Erdogan ahead of Turkey's 2018 parliamentary election alongside his fellow Germany international Ilkay Gundogan.

However, this sparked criticism from the German Football Federation [DFB], whose president Reinhard Grindel said: "Football and the DFB defend values which are not sufficiently respected by Mr Erdogan.

"That's why it's not good that our international players let themselves be manipulated for his electoral campaign.

"In doing that, our players have certainly not helped the DFB's work on integration."

After the 2018 World Cup, Ozil retired from international football and hit out at Grindel when he said in a statement; "I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose."

He defended the picture with Erdogan when he also said: "[It] wasn't about politics or elections, it was about me respecting the highest office of my family's country."

Erdogan was then a witness at Ozil's wedding ceremony with former Miss Turkey Amine Gulse in 2019.

After stints at Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen, Ozil made the move to Madrid in 2010 and hit 108 goal contributions in 159 matches.

He won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup with Los Blancos before completing a £42.5million switch to Arsenal in 2013.

Ozil lifted the FA Cup on three occasions and the Community Shield once, scoring 44 goals and assisting 75 for the Gunners.

The World Cup winning midfielder left for Fenerbahce in 2021 and retired at Istanbul Basaksehir two years later.