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Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil endured a nightmare debut for his new side Istanbul Basaksehir against Kasimpasa as the reserve side lost 7-1.
Ozil, 33, joined the Turkish Super Lig side over the summer on a one-year deal after his contract at Fenerbahce was terminated.
According to the Daily Star, the German hasn't played a senior game since March following a dispute with then-Fenerbahce boss Ismail Kartal. To regain match fitness, he played for Basaksehir's reserve side in their clash against Kasimpasa on Wednesday, 10 August.
Ozil's side ended up being on the wrong side of a humbling 7-1 defeat at home, with the attacking midfielder only playing the first 45 minutes.
The senior team, however, fared significantly well in their Super Lig opener against the same team, winning 4-0.
Ozil left Real Madrid in 2013 to join Arsenal, where he spent seven seasons. The playmaker made 254 appearances for the Gunners and scored 44 times while creating 77 opportunities for his teammates.
The sometimes controversial midfielder was also part of the side that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup as Germany beat Argentina in the final.
Ozil eventually had his contract terminated with Arsenal following a falling out with boss Mikel Arteta.
His current boss Emre Belozoglu, who used to play for Newcastle United, is confident that the veteran can make an impact for the team, as he stated:
"Ozil has not been working with the team for four to five months. He will have another 20-25 days ahead of him to be ready. We are doing our best and he is doing his best, he wants to play football. We are happy with Mesut, he has to finish well in his career."
Edu admits there was no chance Arsenal could get a fee for Mesut Ozil
The north London club have been forced to terminate several high-profile contracts in recent times. The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian were also released by Arsenal in January 2022 and August 2021 respectively.
As for such outgoings, Edu, the club's technical director, recently told The Athletic:
"If you imagine, ‘Oh, no problem: this season we’re going to expose the player a little bit more and then we sell them’ — no, be realistic. You don’t want to sell the player"
He added:
"Try to avoid one more year with the problem inside, in the dressing room, expensive, not performing. Clean, take it out. Even, I’m sorry, if you have to pay. To leave is better. Because that guy is sometimes also blocking someone."
