Arsenal players Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac missed the match against Newcastle because of “security concerns”. And now comes news that the Gunners may have to make do without the duo for longer after the pair became the unwilling participants in a London gang war.
The problem started with an attempted car-jacking on July 24th which saw Kolasinac fight off an attempt to rob him and Ozil by two men on a moped. They were chased for miles before finding refuge in a Turkish restaurant, but the matter did not rest there, and two men were arrested outside Ozil’s home in North London on Thursday after making further threats.
In response, a rival East European gang has threatened the first group with retaliation if the players are targeted again, leaving the pair in the middle fearing for their safety and that of their families.
That has prompted fears that the escalating conflict could even force the pair to leave the club, with Ozil’s new wife having reportedly already left London, vowing never to return.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.