- More and more traditional sports stars are going over to esports
- Veteran footballer Mesut Özil seems to be the next addition to that trend
- The athlete already has a gaming house with FIFA and Fortnite players
Arsenal veteran Mesut Özil has plans to change his career from a world-class footballer to a professional esports player.
Özil Allegedly to Become Esports Pro
The last couple of years saw a huge growth in esports popularity, as many mainstream media outlets had focused their attention on the field during a time when traditional sports were not being able to be played. This has consequently led many veteran traditional sports stars and organizations to transition to esports, and their ranks are soon going to be joined by professional German footballer Mesut Özil.
According to his agent, Dr. Erkut Sogut, Özil will be transitioning to playing esports once he finishes his stay in Fenerbahce. “He will go more into eSports, play himself and maybe become an eSports athlete,” Dr. Erkut Sogut told the Daily Telegraph.
The 33-year-old world-class athlete seems to be already quite prepared for the transition. Dr. Sogut even said Özit even has his own team, M10 Esports, as well as a gaming house in Germany, and players in games like FIFA and Fortnite. “He's really good, to be honest, at Fortnite and I think one day I wouldn't be surprised if he is competing.”
Why the Player Is Planning to Change Careers?
Mesut Özil is a world-class athlete, with a significant professional legacy, which includes him playing for teams like Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Schalke 04. The German player is currently part of the Turkish club Fenerbahçe, however, he is not part of the team’s first-choice plans. This was the case because his fitness levels were brought into question.
The Turkish club's president, Ali Koc, had announced at the end of last year that Ozil was “unhappy” at the club due to a desire to play more, but revealed that manager Kartal was struggling to get the best out of the midfielder. Özil's former Arsenal coach, Unai Emery, had previously been forced to deny what was reported about the cause of Özil's back injury due to his “addiction” to electronic games.
Perhaps all of these combined, as well as the footballer's passion for video games, is the reason the 33-year-old is deciding to do a career swap at this stage of his life. Özil has lately been streaming a lot more in recent times. Although his skills with the mouse and keyboard are largely unproven, it will be interesting to see what he has in store when it comes to professional esports.
