Ssuperstars like Kylian Mbappe or Franck Ribery “like it”, and world champion buddy Jerome Boateng speaks of a “noble gesture”: Mesut Özil landed a real PR coup with his aid campaign for the “extinct” endangered cult mascot Gunnersaurus. “Ehrenmann” Özil received over two million “Likes” on social networks, and there were numerous applause emojis from current and former Gunners professionals – only Arsenal FC was “not amused”.
The “big, green guy”, as Özil affectionately called him, was “not extinct”, but only “temporarily” out of service, said a spokesman: “As soon as fans are allowed to enter the stadium, he will also return.” the damage had already been done – and the cheers for “rescuer” Özil unlimited.
“Justice for Gunnersaurus”
“I was very sad that our popular and loyal mascot (…) was dismissed after 27 years”, he had announced under the motto “Justice for Gunnersaurus”. Jerry Quy, the man behind the costume since the character’s introduction in 1993, had lost his job like over 50 other employees because of the pandemic. Özil now offered to pay Quy’s salary of allegedly 50,000 pounds per year as long as he was an Arsenal professional: “So that Jerry can continue to do the job he loves so much.”
The sum would correspond exactly to the amount that Özil earns a day – for doing nothing, as scoffers think. The “outcast” (The Sun) has not played a game for the Gunners since the beginning of March and has not even made it into the squad since the end of June.
According to SID information, the relationship between Özil (contract until summer 2021) and team manager Mikel Arteta is intact – the reason for the removal: the bosses would like to get rid of the soon-to-be 32-year-old top earner. However, Özil recently announced defiantly that he decides “when I go, not others”.
Özil against the club leadership
The club management has been trying “for two years to destroy me,” he complained in mid-August in an interview with The Athletic portal. There Özil also declared his refusal, like other players, to forego 12.5 percent of his lavish salary. He would even have liked to take on “a larger share”, said Özil – but only provided that the club promised not to fire anyone.
Arsenal did not want to agree to this – probably because the club had long been planning to expel numerous “normal” employees at the time in question in April. The end of Jerry Quy became known on Monday – on the very day Arsenal paid 50 million euros for Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid. Hand money: 2.2 million euros, salary per week: 252,000 euros.
Against this background, Özil’s relief operation is a clever move. The 2014 world champion has not lost his “instinct for the perfect attack and the sense of timing,” wrote the Daily Mail. Whether this also applies to footballer Mesut Özil remains open until further notice.
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