“Treat everyone equally!” Mesut Özil calls on FIFA to allow Russia’s return and draws a comparison with Israel

Former Germany international Mesut Özil has appealed to world football’s governing body at an event, calling for Russia’s return.

Özil attended a veterans' match between Istanbul Basaksehir and Zenit St. Petersburg. After the club from the Turkish metropolis won 3-2, the 2014 World Cup winner used the occasion to make a political statement and call for FIFA to act.

"Football has always brought about peace. As long as we have not paid attention to people’s origins or faith, football has always brought people together. As you know, there was no embargo on teams from Israel, but there was one on Russian teams," Özil said.

He called on FIFA "to set aside double standards and treat everyone equally!" Following Russia's attack on Ukraine in violation of international law, FIFA and UEFA imposed sanctions on Russian teams and excluded them from their competitions. Özil now wants those measures lifted.

Both clubs have contentious political connections: Zenit St. Petersburg are said to enjoy the support of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is considered a supporter of Basaksehir and is also said to be very close to the Özil family. The 38-year-old's children are even allowed to call the president 'Grandpa'.

Beyond football, Özil has also pursued political ambitions in the past. Last year, party members elected him to the executive board of the AKP, Erdogann's staunchly conservative-Islamic party. AKP stands for 'Party for Justice and Upswing'.