Why sponsors are breaking off Mesut Özil contracts? Behind adidas' choice not to renew his contract is the public image of the player

"Fingerprints do not indicate who we really are, DNA does not make us understand why we are different from each other, the timbre of the voice says nothing about our identity, because what makes us truly unique are our choices" said the narrating voice in the 2011 commercial that Mercedes-Benz created to launch the 2011 version of the GLK. Paradoxical to start talking about Mesut Özil in this way, partly because his choices - clear, thoughtful and determined - brought him to a certain extent, partly because talking about the Turkish-German talent by citing the Stuttgart car manufacturer is almost paradoxical. Keep the icon open, because it will come in handy.

Before tackling the latest event in a rather turbulent public life, we need to make a flashback to understand the nature of Mesut Özil's choices. A jump back in time to understand the story behind a footballer / character who has been on the big stage for more than 10 years now. Özil is a third generation Turkish-German, i.e. he is part of the largest foreign community in Germany (which in 2019 had 1.55 million Turks), and Gelsenkiärken was born and raised where his father Mustafa ran an inn. The decision to represent the German national team was natural, even if "painful" according to what was stated by the player himself.

Beyond the historical moment, beyond the (reduced) budgets redistributed in a different way by the sports companies, being a voice out of the chorus often represents a negative aspect for brands. Özil has supported a controversial political leader, who has an international reputation that is more negative than positive, but at the same time he used his formidable social numbers to denounce something unthinkable in 2020. The events that left Mercedes first and adidas later to Özil they make it clear that a mainstream profile remains more attractive to sponsors and not a voice capable of making their voices heard. No other player has publicly exposed himself on concentration camps in China - first denied and then defined re-education camps for people belonging to ethnic and religious minorities - and this, in a world that often reason in the opposite direction, is viewed negatively. The rhetoric that destroys those who use a privileged position like that of footballers is still one of those negative points that nobody wants to touch. "the only thing that will be remembered is our silence" Özil often remembers. So, if it is true that "what makes us truly unique are our choices", it is understandable to choose to be a voice out of the choir.