The ex-Germany international believes that both the Arsenal midfielder and the DFB should have anticipated the fallout of his controversial actions.
Mesut Ozil should have been "prepared to face criticism" for his actions in the build-up to the World Cup in Russia, according to former Germany international Lothar Matthaus, as the controversy surrounding the midfielder’s decision to retire from international football continues to dominate pre-season talk.
The Arsenal star's decision to make himself unavailable for selection comes after a turbulent few months sparked by a protracted backlash over the player posing for a photograph with the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a staunch political opponent of Germany whose government faces alleged human rights violations.