Ex-Arsenal star Mesut Ozil to 'become pro gamer' in retirement and owns 'gaming house'

Posted Saturday, June 18, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Mesut Ozil still has two years left on his contract with Turkish side Fenerbahce but has been tipped to move into the world of professional esports when he retires

Ex-Arsenal star Mesut Ozil to 'become pro gamer' in retirement and owns 'gaming house'
Mesut Ozil is a keen gamer (Image: Twitter / @MesutOzil1088)

Mesut Ozil could become a professional gamer when he retires from football, according to his agent.

Ozil is still at Fenerbahce, who he joined when Arsenal agreed to let him go in January 2021, but is facing an uncertain future at the Turkish club following a fallout with manager Jorge Jesus. The 33-year-old was left out of Fenerbahce’s squads towards the end of last season, with his last game coming on March 20.

The former Arsenal playmaker has two years left on his contract with Fenerbahce and is not looking to change clubs, according to his agent, Dr Erkut Sogut. “I think he will not play football in any other club any more,” he told The Telegraph. “I can't see that – it will be Fenerbahce and that’s it.”

However, Sogut says Ozil is already considering his future away from the football pitch, with a move into the world of esports a genuine possibility. “He will go more into esports, play himself and maybe become an esports athlete,” he added.

“He’s really good, to be honest, at Fortnite and I think one day I wouldn’t be surprised if he is competing. He owns a team – M10 Esports – and he has players. He has a gaming house in Germany. He has football, like Fifa, and Fortnite.”

Ozil founded M10 Esports in partnership with esports agency eSportsReputation while he was still at Arsenal in August 2018. His team initially focused on Fifa, but has since branched out to include Fortnite.

Ex-Arsenal star Mesut Ozil to 'become pro gamer' in retirement and owns 'gaming house'
Mesut Ozil is already thinking about life post-football (Image: Dasril Roszandi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"I‘ve always played video games as an ambitious casual gamer. I‘m a believer that both sports and esports have a lot of things in common,” Ozil says in promotional material on M10’s website.

"As a professional football athlete and former World Champion, I have a lot of experience of what it takes to be successful in the world of sports. I want to help and develop young esports talent and ensure they benefit from my experience in football.”

Back in 2018, Ozil’s dedication to gaming attracted some negative attention when a sports physician claimed it could be contributing to a back injury which was keeping him off the pitch. Ozil, who earned £350,000 during his final years at Arsenal, has regularly streamed his games on Twitch alongside his former team-mate Sead Kolasinac.