Turkish-German footballer Mesut Ozil may be running for election in Türkiye next month, the local news outlet reported.
The article said that 34-year-old Ozil’s name appeared on the candidate list of the governing AKP party.
Ozil retired from professional football in March this year, citing “long-term injuries” sustained in the preceding weeks and months. Born and raised in Germany, Ozil played for the German national team from 2009 to 2018, playing a pivotal role in the team’s World Cup victory in 2014. His club career brought him from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid to Arsenal to Fenerbahce, before finishing at Istanbul Basaksehir.