Lukas Podolski has criticised Arsenal for their handling of Mesut Ozil’s departure from the club, labelling them disrespectful.
Ozil brought an end to an eight-year stay at the Emirates in January when he ended his contract early to secure a move to Fenerbahce.
His departure came after a year sat on the sidelines for the German midfielder, who had fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta and found himself left out of both the Premier League squad and the Europa League squad at the beginning of the season.
It was a sad end to what had once been a great relationship with Arsenal, with the midfielder having made 254 appearances in all competitions and racked up 44 goals and 77 assists in that time.
In the end, he was essentially forced out of the club and Podolski, who played alongside Ozil at Arsenal, was less than impressed by the way things were handled.
“Honestly, I would very much like to know what actually happened in the background,” Gazete Futbol report him saying.
“Nevertheless, I think it is wrong to discard a player who has been on the pitch for the club for six to seven years.
“In conclusion, there was a lack of respect for Mesut. That’s why it came to an unattractive farewell. That’s on the Gunners’ head.”
