At the age of 34, Mesut Ozil, a former midfielder for Germany, Real Madrid, and Arsenal, has declared his retirement.
The announcement was made on Instagram by the former Germany international and Arsenal midfielder, who wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football after giving it some thought.
Because I've had the opportunity to play professional football for almost 17 years, I feel tremendously grateful for the chance. But it has been increasingly obvious over the past few weeks and months—along with some injuries—that it is time to step away from football's premier stage.
It has been a remarkable journey with of emotions and memories to remember. I'd want to thank my teams, including Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Fenerbahçe, and Basaksehir, as well as my coaches and squad members who have grown to be friends.
I want to give a special thank you to my family and close friends. They have followed my journey with me from the beginning and have shown me so much love and support, both in the good times and the bad.
"I want to thank all of my fans for their unwavering support, regardless of the situation or the team I was representing.
You may be sure that you will occasionally hear from me on my social media accounts as I look forward to everything that is ahead of me with my lovely wife Amine and my two lovely girls, Eda and Ela.
"See you later, Mesut!"
Arsenal has been without Champions League action for six long years, which contrasts sharply with the 19 straight seasons under Arsene Wenger when they participated in Europe's most illustrious cup competition.
As Wenger's Gunners finished one point outside the top four in 2017, that streak came to an end. When they were humiliated 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the spring, they may have surmised that their time in Europe's premier competition was up.
For the seventh year in a row, Arsenal was eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16, but this was the worst of all of them because the defending Bundesliga champions destroyed Wenger's team 5-1 in Bavaria before outlasting them 5-1 at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta may or may not lead the Arsenal to the Premier League title in May, but at the very least, they have fulfilled their main goal of returning to the Champions League. With a current margin of victory of 21 points over fifth-place Liverpool, their top-four finish is mathematically certain.
Yet, what happened to Arsenal's previous Champions League team? Since then, a lot has changed, and not just in the dugout. What the rest of that side is doing today is listed below.
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