‘I am Ozil’: Germans stage protest to support ex-midfielder

German football fans have came out in support of former player Mesut Ozil, who retired from international duty after being blamed for Germany’s horrible World Cup exit.

The football fans came out in support of their ex-midfielder after he took a stand against the media and the nation's football association (DFB), for what he believes has been discriminatory treatment.

Hundreds of fans gathered in Berlin on Sunday wearing t-shirts bearing the slogan 'I am Ozil' and waved Turkish flags alongside German ones in front of publishing house Axel Springer.

The demonstration was designed to raise awareness for the perceived racist treatment of Ozil by some of the media outlets in Germany over his Turkish background.

The Arsenal super star burned his bridges with the national team and announced his retirement from international football in a four-part statement across his social media accounts last week.

Although Ozil's attachment to his ancestral home of Turkey has always caused some level of friction in Germany, it was his decision to meet the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan that took relations to breaking point.

Ozil is back with Arsenal ahead of the new Premier League season and wore the captain's armband as the Gunners beat Paris Saint-Germain 5-1 in their International Champions Cup friendly in Singapore on Saturday.