LONDON: Two men threatened to “kill” Mesut Ozil when they confronted the Arsenal midfielder’s security guards, a London court heard on Tuesday.
The alleged incident happened outside Ozil’s north London home just weeks after the former World Cup winner was targeted by moped attackers while driving in the area.
Security guard Kemil Sezer told the court that he and a colleague had been protecting Ozil, who was inside the house at the time, for several weeks.
Salaman Ekinci and Ferhat Ercun deny behaving in a threatening or abusive manner outside the house.
Assisted by a Turkish interpreter, Sezer told the Magistrates Court he first saw two men on the evening of August 8 last year before they returned around three hours later when it was dark.
Sezer said the men told him: “We’re going to come back in five minutes and if security don’t go from here, we’re going to kill Mesut Ozil and kill you’.
“We started chasing them ... we got angry because Mesut Ozil, about two to three weeks prior, was attacked and we feared that the same thing would happen.”
Ozil, who played international football for Germany but is of Turkish heritage, did not appear at the hearing.
Ekinci and Ercun, both 27, were present.
Asked by prosecutor Sarah Gabay how he felt, Sezer said: “Stressed. Mesut Ozil is loved by the Turkish people.
“We have that responsibility on us to protect him.”
The threats came around two weeks after Ozil and Arsenal team-mate Sead Kolasinac were ambushed by moped muggers who tried unsuccessfully to steal their £200,000 watches in an unrelated incident.
Gabay said the pair were detained by the guards, who also had protection dogs, after they returned for a third time shortly after midnight before police were called.
“In interview, both defendants denied using the language and said there had been no conversation between them and said they had been attacked by the security guards,” she said.
Two men threatened to ‘kill’ Arsenal’s Ozil
https://arab.news/jmyjs
Two men threatened to ‘kill’ Arsenal’s Ozil
- The alleged incident happened outside Ozil’s north London home
Griezmann’s free kick seals Atletico Madrid progress in Copa del Rey
- Last year’s champions Barcelona will play at Racing Club Santander on Thursday
Antoine Griezmann’s sublime second-half free kick earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at second-tier Deportivo La Coruna on Tuesday, securing their spot in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
Coming off a frustrating start to 2026 with a disappointing 1-1 draw in LaLiga against Real Sociedad and a 2-1 loss in the Spanish Super Cup to bitter rivals Real Madrid, Diego Simeone fielded a near full-strength side at the Riazor Stadium, with only goalkeeper Jan Oblak rested among regular starters.
Midfielder Conor Gallagher, reportedly close to joining Tottenham Hotspur, and forward Giacomo Raspadori, linked with a move to Atalanta, were also absent from the squad that made the trip to Galicia.
Atletico dictated the early proceedings, with Julian Alvarez denied by La Coruna keeper German Parreno following a sharp effort, while Matteo Ruggeri struck the woodwork in the 15th minute.
La Coruna came close to an opener when Cristian Herrera’s close-range shot was superbly saved by Atletico’s back-up goalkeeper Juan Musso.
Griezmann grew into the game, narrowly missing the target with a fierce strike from distance that rattled the crossbar in the 40th minute before the decisive moment arrived in the 61st.
Awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, Griezmann stepped up and delivered a left-footed effort that curled into the top corner, leaving keeper German Parreno with no chance.
Atletico maintained control for much of the second half, their defensive organization under Simeone proving impenetrable for a La Coruna side that has now won just once in their last seven outings across all competitions.
Despite dominating possession and creating further chances, Atletico struggled to add to their lead, with Griezmann’s strike proving the only goal of the match.
Atletico were the first team to advance to the quarter-finals, as Real Madrid will visit Albacete on Wednesday in Alvaro Arbeloa’s debut as the club’s new manager following Xabi Alonso’s departure on Monday.
Last year’s champions Barcelona will play at Racing Club Santander on Thursday.
