Football is an attractive realm for politicians to wander around due to the prestige associated with elite-level athletic achievement, so it's not unsual to see stars rubbing shoulders with global leaders from time to time.
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has found a friend in the form of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but it is an unlikely alliance which is viewed as problematic by some and it has prompted much debate.
Indeed, furore over Ozil's link with Erdogan played a massive part the World Cup winner's explosive decision to retire from international duty with Germany in 2018 and criticism lingers unhelpfully over his head.