Mikel Arteta has said he’s been ‘honest’ with Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil despite claims from the German playmaker’s agent that he hasn’t given an accurate explanation of the situation.
The 32-year-old released an angry statement accusing Arsenal of disloyalty on Wednesday after being left out of their 25-man Premier League squad.
Mesut Ozil/Instagram
That public criticism led to Arteta admitting he ‘failed’ to get the best out of every player.
That assessment wasn’t enough to satisfy Ozil’s long-term representative, Dr Erkut Sogut, who said ‘Arsenal fans deserve an honest explanation’ regarding his client’s exile.
Speaking ahead of his side’s clash against Leicester on Sunday evening, Arteta responded to those latest remarks saying: “If you have to lead, they have to trust you.
“In order for them to trust you, you have to be honest. You have to be clear and you have to be able to tell people, face to face, the good and bad news.
“Then you have to be consistent in what you say, the demands you put in and what you apply.
“When things happen, you applaud them and then when they don’t, there are consequences. Then you create a culture and within that culture people have to be accountable.
“People have to step up and they have to demand the standards we need of each other from this football club in order to be successful.”
In his interview with ESPN, Sogut also reaffirmed Ozil’s loyalty to Arsenal and refused to shut the door on the former Real Madrid star playing for the club again.
He added: “He could have left for another club like Alexis Sanchez. He could have left and got a £30m signing-on fee as a free agent at the peak of his career. But he stayed loyal.
“Maybe the club will change their position in January and register him. You never know what will happen.”
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