Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan met Germany president Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday in a series of clear the air talks following their controversial photos alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“Ilkay Gündogan and Mesut Özil expressed a desire to visit me,” Mr. Steinmeier posted on Facebook alongside a picture of him with the Germany stars in Berlin. “It was important to both of them to clear up any misunderstandings that came up.”
Mr. Steinmeier said the players affirmed their loyalty to Germany during the meeting. “I grew up here and I’m faithful to my country,” Gelsenkirchen-born Özil was quoted as saying, while Mr. Gündogan added, “Germany is today clearly my country and my team”.
Arsenal star Özil and Manchester City’s Gündogan found themselves at the centre of a political storm for meeting Mr. Erdoğan last Sunday during his three-day visit to Britain.
Meeting Erdoğan
The pair each presented Mr. Erdoğan with a signed Arsenal and City jersey respectively, but were criticised by both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German FA (DFB) for their actions.
Several German politicians slammed the pair, especially as Mr. Gündogan’s T-shirt had ‘With respect to my President’ written on it, which was immediately pounced upon by Germany’s political right.
Both were named in the extended 27-man World Cup squad which was announced on Tuesday as Germany head coach Joachim Loew ignored calls to drop them.
The two also also sat down with senior DFB officials before the German Cup final on Saturday. “Both assured us that they did not want to send any political signal with their actions,” said DFB president Reinhard Grindel.
