'Germany needs Özil', Arsene Wenger says

Germany's national football team got worse without Turkish-German footballer Mesut Özil, his former manager in Arsenal football club said on Wednesday.

Following disappointing performance in the 2018 World Cup, Germany got worse during Özil's absence with two defeats and one draw in last three matches.

"I believe that Germany needs Özil," Arsene Wenger told German Daily Bild.

"I hope that [Germany head coach Joachim] Low can convince him that he will come back. Özil is a superb football player and was not the worst in the World Cup," Wenger said.

In July, Turkish-German footballer Mesut Özil quit the national team, citing racial discrimination.

Özil also said that the German Football Association head Reinhard Grindel failed to support him when he received hate mails, threatening phone calls, and racist comments on social media.

Grindel later admitted that he had not been supportive enough.

Without Özil, Germany started their UEFA Nations League journey with three consecutive bad results. They drew with France 0-0 at home, defeated by Netherlands 3-0 and lost to France 2-1 in an away match.

Germany also lost six of their last ten matches and relegated to League B in the UEFA Nations League.