“Ozil retirement is not a loss” German legend Matthaus

He admitted that the 29-year-old had a huge impact in German football but said that he was not impressed with his performance in recent times.

Matthaus is responsible for captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, after which he was named European Footballer of the Year.

The 57-year-old told kicker in a recent interview: “Mesut has been a great performer in the national team for eight years, but for a year and a half I have not liked [his displays],”

“But I have criticised him for that, everything else does not interest me.

“From a sporting perspective – even if it sounds harsh – it is not a loss, but a chance to change something in this position.

Speaking of the controversial events that led to Ozil’s retirement he said: “It could have been dealt with better from the beginning, as many people were involved. It is a pity and sad that it did not work because Ozil has done much for German football.

“The topic has been underestimated from the start, even by the DFB. Anyone can take pictures with who they want, but then they have to be prepared to face criticism and give answers – it was drawn out for too long.”