Arsenal have released a statement this afternoon to announce that neither Mesut Ozil or Sead Kolasinac would be travelling to Newcastle for our Premier League opener due to what are being described as ‘security incidents’.
The pair were involved in an attempted carjacking last month, when the Bosnian saw off a couple of knife-wielding thugs who had attempted a robbery.
However, despite being given time off around the Emirates Cup, it was thought to be done and dusted, but clearly there’s something serious going on for them to left out of the squad entirely.
The Arsenal statement reads:
Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac will not be part of the squad for our opening match against Newcastle United following further security incidents which are being investigated by the police.
The welfare of our players and their families is always a top priority and we have taken this decision following discussion with the players and their representatives. We are liaising with the police and are providing the players and their families with ongoing support.
We look forward to welcoming the players back to the squad as soon as possible. We will not be making any further comment on the matter.
Let’s hope whatever this is gets cleared up as quickly as possible for the sake of both players and their families.
This is clearly a serious situation, perhaps some reprisals from the initial incident, or more deliberate targetting of them, so fingers crossed there’s a satisfactory resolution.
If it was me on 300k a week you better believe im rolling like im solo but with SAS security incognito only a few meters away in another vehicle ready to destroy any threat. Whats there to be scared of? you make more than Drake and he’s pushing 30 men in his entourage. Step your game up. Erdogan prob has some soldiers fresh from the Syrian border that would enjoy the opportunity. These moped scum need to be dealt with and eradicated.
What?
Oh, stewardess! I speak jive.
Barbara Billingsley….epic comment and user name.
Barbara Billingsley – just for you
*The bro was onnnn… didn’t trip but the folks were freaking hey and the pilot was laid to the bone hone …*
Heh
Not sure if I want to upvote or downvote this comment…
350k aint that much if ur dead
I volunteer you, tough guy
What the fuck was that?
He’s right, I know it shouldn’t be like that but if your going around wearing half a million pounds worth of gear (not that sort) on you then you really should be careful in this day.
Sad but true. However I don’t think the racist undertones sit well with people, even though you reference something sinister THEY are doing, YOU are the one who looks bad.
May be you can deliberately try to put yourself in that situation. But..
You have to first learn football..
Then..Get that kind of salary..
Then…have someone give a fuck about you..
Not going to happen..
Man… I don’t know what the FUCK you just said, Little Kid, but you’re special man, you reached out, and you touch a brother’s heart.
Not sure if hyperbole was your intention, but they do not make more than Drake.
First off, let’s stop blaming the victims. That totally lacks class.
Second, let me be the first to suggest that once these scum are found, it’s Stockades outside the Emirates before they’re put in the locker. I’ll be sure to put down a few pints and a large plate of asparagus before I visit them.
Here we go. Problems already. Too many treating that very serious incident as a joke.
…actually, they’ll probably never play for us again and would want to leave the country ASAP.
Take Mhiki with you hopefully.
24 hours of collective positivity. That’s more than most fan bases have in a lifetime I s’pose…
Man, some of our fans are weird.
weird is about as kindly as you could possibly put it.
Do you think them little sp*rs carjackers are going to follow the team bus up to Newcastle! Ridiculous!!
It clearly says ‘further security incidents’ which means something else has happened already.
If thugs know where the players live, thanks to TV showing their houses etc, it might not be safe for wives/family – esp when they know the players are going to be in Newcastle.
This doesn’t sound like a trivial thing.
Wait, I think I smell smoke! Do we have a buyer lined up for these two? This is perfect cover for them not playing while a deal is finalized.
So rather than the effortless white lie of made up injury niggle for both Arsenal’s owners and management have decided to concoct a criminal conspiracy? You may indeed be smelling “smoke” my dude!
Man’s from Liverpool. What can you do. They’re all at it up there.
Why? Injuries get looked into during a medical. This is simple. They stay home and can’t get hurt while a deal is pushed through and all the dummy fans won’t get on Ozils back about a soft injury and not being up for away games if the deal falls through. Simple if you think about it.
Try being a little more human, Frog.
Jeezus. The world’s going to shit.
Certainly wouldn’t be the first time players families and homes have being targeted on away days, it’s absolutely petrifying that criminals will target homes even when they’re occupied.
The club have scored a massive own goal here, they’ve now given credence to the idea that criminal gangs can alter team selection before games.
Time to do away with this liberal approach to crime, we’ve become far too soft on crime.
How on earth are you pinning blame on the club?! Their first duty is to protect the welfare of their employees, which is exactly what they’ve done.
The club care about the safety of the players? What nonsense, if they cared then Mhiki wouldn’t have played in the Europa Fin…. oh… as you were.
I guess what Rich is saying that rather than announcing they will not be travelling BECAUSE of the security incidents they could have given an excuse along the lines of lack of fitness or knock picked up in training. The criminals will know that their actions have changed the team selection.
Exactly ??
It didn’t make sense when he said it either
Yes the club could’ve lied and said Mesut and Sead (who we know are perfectly fit) were out of the Newcastle trip due to a “knock”, but then some tabloid would’ve reported the security threat – which means the club would’ve lied for nothing
Really simply…
They’ve now given credence to the notion that you can alter team selection by criminally targeting players before football matches, so don’t be surprised if this now becomes a regular ploy from gangs of youths from rival clubs.
Gangs of youths causing disturbances outside players homes the night before local derby’s, has been going on a long time, and certainly isn’t anything new.
It’s also a good way of trying to fix betting odds in your favour, by unsettling players before games, by disturbing their sleep and concentration levels.
It’s not an unreasonable hypothesis, except why would you target those two?. Ozil add nothing away from home and Kolasinac is inconsistent at best.
Bloody youths. Harlequins and naredowells the lot of them
Wow, now you’ve figured out what I am sure no one else ever has, including gangs and criminals, please inform someone at AFC. so they get better sleep and win us football games..and I finally win some bets.
I have a family member who works for the national crime agency, and other family who work in the police force.
You’re extremely naive if you think no one else has thought of this, and this hasn’t and isn’t been used as a deliberate ploy.
Yea yea. You can claim anything on the Internet.
America takes a really tough stance on crime, death penalty and everything. I guess it must be safer….?
Apart from all the people shooting each other, much safer
They don’t even consider shootings to be criminal do they? Over there they call that “freedom”
Wow
No, you are not far too soft on crime. Crime rates in the UK are quite low, and certainly so compared to decades ago during harsher regimes etc. etc.
Now just calm down. There is so little info for anyone to go on about this, and certainly not below-the-line commenters like us.
I hope it’s not further deliberate targeting of them, that would be very awful.
Thafuck is going on over there? Very alarming. I hope this is sorted soon!
Meanwhile, I suppose it’ll be Montreal at left back, then.
Or Toronto
Is Vancouver Injured?
Edmonton is available!
Of we could promote Calgary from the under 21 squad.
Don’t care which as long as it gets us the Winnipeg.
I’m in Edmonton right now and it definitely is.
I was thinking Alberta. Or us she in the women’s team?
Dammit Maul, you had to go and blow it by listing a province instead of a city…. ;-P
I know it is out ouf the blue but….Tokio…she is something else.
ANNOUNCE NOVA SCOTIA
God-damned autocorrect.
I love Canada!
I’d prefer Moose Factory, myself. Not very good going forward, but I like the work ethic.
Goodness knows what’s going on here. It surely can’t be anything to do with the earlier incident, can it? Anyway, whatever it is, the club and players (and, possibly, police) need to work out something out asap.
My guess is that they’ve received some kind of threats
The old bill needs to stop wasting time investigating politically incorrect tweets and get this chav scum nicked and taken off the streets.
One has nothing to do with the other. Far right death threats and general bile also needs to be policed very seriously.
Politically incorrect tweets. Not death threats.
These days if you say you’re English you get arrested and thrown in jail!
heh – Stuart Lee is so good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkCBhKs4faI
#bestcommentever!
The problem here, John, is that people who are often saying racially/politically/religiously divisive and/or indirectly inciting acts of violence or vandalism, cloak this language as being ‘politically incorrect’ or ‘just trolling’ when they’re called on their hateful, dangerous language and behavior.
There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of behavior and incitement of violence or hatred should be treated seriously, and writing it off as ‘just jokes’ only allows for this culture of hatred and violence to fester like the cancer it is.
Always the legal joe, John..
Oh bore off
Nobody has ever been thrown in jail for saying they’re English. Except in your hysterical imagination.
(i was being sarcastic)
Ahh, for some people that was hysteria. For others, it was a great Stewart Lee reference.
Can you give us an example of when the police have investigated politically incorrect tweets that did not have an element of threatening to cause harm?
I don’t believe your accusation and I think it’s false.
Hope this is sorted out soon for everyones sake. Could set a dangerous precedent otherwise with players targeted before key games etc…
Yeah, now people will know that if they don’t want a footballer to start in a game, all they need to do is commit a serious crime and face a long prison term.
What on earth os going on? Firstly, have to say that Bergkamp would never have been out at night so often to put himself into thst position ( at home with cocoa) – that is not to excise these Criminals!!! Secondly, what the hell are the Police foing. Thirdly, on £300,000 plus a week one can have the best private security. Finally, surely being with the group teavelling is safe. I feel sorty for their families but I hope Arsenal and the Police sort this soon. Threats could be ” jokers” but if not the Police really must resolve. Unfortunately,… Read more »
Are you really going to place blame on the players for going out for a meal with their partners during pre season?
And how would you like to have private security tailing you everywhere you go?
Thirdly, you don’t know the full situation here, so relax with the judgements
Take your wife out for a meal and apparently you’re to blame for “going out at night”?!
If you can’t do that or your job (to kick a ball around a pitch ffs) for fear of your families safety then that’s completely fucked up.
Pretty sure the initial incident took place during the day too
Are only societies with no crime not “pathetic”, then? Could you show me one?
What the bloody hell is going on? Every year we start the season with 3/4 players missing due to terrible injuries the year before. This year is just the same with Holding, Marapanos,Belerin etc, but now we have two top players not playing because they were attacked in Ldon afew weeks ago ?????????Sorry mates but you cannot be seriously thelling us that you are frightened that the attackers will be in Newcastle !!!
Don’t be a twat. There is obviously some reason for them to fear leaving their families alone whilst travelling up for the game. And that absolutely should be alleviated at a higher priority than football, which is in the end just a game.
They are seriously telling you that there is a security issue. Do you know more about this case to be able to tell us why this is not an acceptable explanation?
I suspect Mesut and Sead are on the chopping block and are being lined up to be sold
If the club did something like that it would be cynical beyond the pale. Not a chance.
Besides, Tierney is out until probably Late September or October recovering, which leaves only Monreal and Kolasinac. Bellerin is not back on the right, so AMN is our only man there. There’s no way Kolasinac is getting sold. We’d be down to 1 full back on each side, with no cover.
Safety comes first. We should care more about the man than the player. Hopefully all these is resolved soon
You would think with all the fking money Arsenal has and the money Ozil makes, they could get top notch security, and hire private investigators to figure this shit out.
Maybe the day some media and some fans, former players will stop spitting daily on players because of the so called ill earned money…, they will stop being targets… The media first should check out what they all say: it can be of huge damage for the players.
I’m not sure what the media has to do with this?
Actual madness, has to be motivated by more than money. There are thousands and thousands of richer, less high profile, less well protected individuals in London.
I’d wager it’s because they’re high profile Muslim players and Britain has a fascism problem.
Pure conjecture.
Again with this everyone is fascist stuff… Ffs they are so many muslim players in the league and no one is targeted.
I would bet that there is a bigger chance that it is football related than religion and some Arsenal “fans” want Ozil out. But the most possible and the most worrying reason is that is gang related. Maybe Kolasinac really pissed them off the other day.
i don’t think they were targeted because of their religion in this case.
But respectfully, you don’t have a clue what high-profile Muslim footballers or the wider Muslim community is going through at the moment. Last season Chelsea had to issue a statement condemning their own supporters for a racist chant directed at Mo Salah, and already this season a guy was arrested for racist threats against him. And this is just the stuff that gets reported.
You think Britain doesn’t have a fascism problem? Wake up my friend. Wake up.
Yes. This. Of course it’s conjecture, for now it all is because the police and the club are being tight lipped. But I say this as a Jewish gooner on the ground in North London. Things are going mad. “Football fans” singing Tommy Robinson’s name. More attacks on Tottenham fans for being “yids” (and yes, while o hate Tottenham I’ll always defend them against this anti-Semitic trope). The anti Muslim songs on the terraces are getting louder. And Ozil in particular is outspoken. Active in the Muslim community, vocal about Palestine and in Muslim charities. So that makes him more… Read more »
Oh my god,, even if I had a hit out on me I’d still play, this world is getting full of pussys, anyway that’s one way of getting ozil off our wage bill pmsl
Shut up.
Unless you can make me,, bit pointless saying it really
” even if I had a hit out on me I’d still play” Can you play right back for a few weeks Southpaw? 🙂
I will try but I’m just as shit
I suppose it’s equally pointless to ask you to try to be a decent person and show more respect.
Don’t be a prat
Jumping to conclusions.
We do not know if there were threats made to their family.
Have a bit of a think.
Imagine being 45 and still having the bragging hard man mentality of a 14 year old..
How’d ya know my age you queer stalker and no need to brag i just don’t let the bullys win that’s all,, ya fucking twat
You come across as a bit of a bully yourself, you insecure homophobic blowhard
’74’? You idiot.
There you are calling names,,, one that wouldn’t say it to ya face,,, keyboard warriors
It’s literally in your handle, you bellend.
So what being 45 means you can’t av it anymore? ,, do me favour
Too bad you, an anonymous internet commenter, will never be able to prove how you’re not a pussy like these players, owing to your complete lack of ability to play football professionally.
Tho I support arsenal i wouldn’t want to play football, and the players are pussys to rugby players
Haha calm down Danny fucking dyer.
Seen this on Sky and some reporter on there was saying that they don’t know what these “further security incidents” are and when they’ve spoken to the police they don’t know either. I think it’s more likely the police just aren’t going to tell someone from SkySports someone’s personal biz.
Well done boys! Everyone deserves a pat on the back for playing their part! Send the leeches back home ?? #wegotourarsenalback
The fuck?
This is a load of bollocks. So a couple of car-jackers can stop multi-millionaire footballers from playing a match? Arsenal, and the players themselves, can afford the best in security so these players should have nothing to worry about. It’s an absolute joke that we are paying Ozil 350k a week and yet again he’s not available for a match. We are running a business. What other company would allow such a highly paid employer to take the piss like this? I wonder if the real story is that the club are planning to sell them and so don’t want… Read more »
They wouldn’t have needed to specify “further security incidents” in that case.
Shut up! This is England: we’ve stood up to all kinds of bullies and troublemakers over the centuries. YOU DON’T LET SCUM TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T DO! If you do then they win! If this is really about security then the best way to deal with this is to stick two fingers up to them by turning up at Newcastle.
This is a joke!
And yet here you are trying to tell them what they can and can’t do.
How exactly does that work?
It works because they are earning serious money! If I was their employer I’d expect them to show some guts and then turn up!
Is this how the Premier League is going to be run from now on? Top players not turning up because of some saddo’s phone threat? Do me a favour!
You’re right: England shouldn’t have had rationing or secrecy in the military during the war, just because the Germans pushed us into it. WE DO WHAT WE WANT.
Correction: England were the bullies and troublemakers over the centuries.
The “This is England” part really made me lol.
When there os a bombing / terrorist attack we ho back to work next day and say ” we will not let the criminals win”. These guys should be travelling to Newcastle ( with familes if need be) and safeguarded protected. Their homes should be protected also but do not let the criminals win
I think we should be keeping Kolasinac. Hope this gets resolved. If he can replicate his defensive abilities off the pitch onto the pitch, we have some defender on our hands. We’ve already thin out capability by selling Iwobi. We now have Nelson out left but thereafter, we will need to juggle one of Mhki(if he stays) orPepe over to the left with consequence to other flank. Our attack again is less balance considering most of the good work last season was from left side. I would retain kolasinac as option further up field on left particularly when Tierney can… Read more »
Leno
Mustafi- so kraits- Luiz- Dhaka- a.m.n.
Cebellos -torrentia- willock.
Pepe – Alex l. – Pierre.
By playing Xhaka and Luik in a back three , lots of passing options ,to the attackers quickly , from two of best long passers in the league and don’t have too worry about Xhaka pace around the midfield. I would rather mustafi rb, than monreal, l.b. These days. With a.m.n. Covering at l.b.
Doubt this team pick, but interesting experiment, thoughts?
Obv, one two many!!, haha, leave out one of torrential / willock.
Very surprised there’s an objection to this. Regardless of how you may feel about the players, their safety (and the safety of staff) is absolutely paramount. We have to take the necessary precautions, and look out for their mental health as well if that’s also an issue.
Leno…..niles luiz sokratis nacho….xaka willock guendouzi…..auba lakaz mikhi
After reading the article I would assume the whole situation may be related to the current political situation in Turkey. Ozil is a well-known Erdogan sympathizer. I would not be surprised if it was done by Erdogan’s political opponents in the UK. Hence the players refused to play and want to leave England asap.
Absolutely disgraceful that these scumbags can cause so many problems for the players.
I dont condone this behaviour but if it must be done, why not target someone deserving like John Terry instead?
We might as well get used to the fact that Ozil will not be playing to many away games carrying on from last season.
Wow, there are a lot of internet tough guys here! You don’t know the circumstances. You don’t know what threats have been made or what information the authorities and club are using to inform their decisions. Finally, it is not your life nor your family’s life that may be under threat here. So, before you tough guys make yourselves look any more ignorant than you already have, kindly shut the hell up.
Don’t be a pussy NJ
They make enough money to protect them selves and there family to still play
Their
Southpaw I’d say your a beast! Lol
You’re
Some mixed views on here. After yesterday’s high it seems that some people are already reaching for their pitch forks.
Certainly sounds strange, hope all is OK for them and their families and they can get back to the pitch soon.
Some of the reactions on here make very depressing reading. Two of our players are targeted by criminals and we use it as an excuse to go on rants about political correctness, calling our players ‘pussy’ and soft, our ‘pathetic’ society, unfounded conjecture on whether its because they’re Muslim, and general disregard for the safety of their loved ones.
I thought we were better than this on Arseblog.
Probably got death threats from the knife weilding mopeds after kola embarrassed them
I suspect some knob sent a death threat letter saying they would be killed at the game. That is something that the players and the club cannot ignore.
Can we talk about football now please?
Obvious why they’re not playing. They’re the new Batman and Robin and are off to save Gotham City
Players missing through injury, no pre-season, waiting to be sold and now through security incidents. At least Mesut gets his time out without the club pulling another injury excuse this time. Safety first then we will dominate.
Sorry Arsenal fans but we have an excuse if the Newcastle game does not turn out it should and as it has over the past few seasons.
I’m not fussed by those two not playing. COYG!
Those that are thumbs down on making a stand and the players playing,they are the ones who when we had the 3 terrorists running around with knifes will run and hide and be to scared to help the wounded rather than stand up to them, sorry I come from a fighting family but don’t Slate me for not being a coward like most on here by the sounds of their comments
I’m pretty sure your claims of bravery are pretty far down on the list of why you’re being slated on here.
Think your find it is, that’s all I’ve said is about standing up for your self, and if i was a footballer and thought my family was at risk I’d have security there for them while I was playing
Yes, l see where you’re coming from. You come from a “fighting family”. So, when your family are threatened, as we are assuming, you pay someone else to protect them whilst you…..play football.
Yes, I’ve got it.
No,, if i were a footballer, and if i was i probably wouldn’t have a fighters background, but I do and that’s why used to box and now train in mma
Catch a grip man your 45, and you wud shit yourself if a knife welding thief tried to Rob you. I’d expect a comment like this off a 12 year old, I’d say your dad is hard too. Lol
Lack of class and respect for fellow humans is the issue Southpaw.
I won’t lie. For a supporters blog that I’ve [quietly] been a part of for years I’m appalled by many of these remarks. It doesn’t matter what a player is paid, what their performances have been, or even who they play for that they should have received credible sounding enough threats to warrant this. First and foremost they are still human beings after all…
Part of the reason I was initially impressed by this blog a few years ago was the absence of hypermasculine garbage in the comments and the sense of civility it fostered; it really set it apart for me. Now…not as much, through no fault of Blogs.
It’s almost as if this story has attracted a certain kind of commenter. And given me a number of additions to our moderation list.
He’s not going to take that without a fight blogs! 🙂
You are quite right. I have been visiting here for years and the comments have grown increasingly hateful in the last four years or so. A sign of the times I guess. Through no fault of Blogs, just as you say. He remains a top lad.
My word, all these people trolling here, obviously these two are in some actual danger, have a modicum of class and empathize a bit. Jeez!
What on earth could this be? I can’t come up with another example of a player being left behind because of security issues for a domestic game. Anyone have an example in any sport?
Surely travelling with the bus in traffic must be more dangerous. There must be some other things we dont know of involved.
A bad business – I did wonder whether all the sensationalist publicity around the original incident, could bring repercussions. To have ones home and family targeted by low life thugs is most people’s worst nightmare and they both have my sympathy.
Hmmm, I thought we in the US had cornered the market on nationalist internet tough-guy idiots. Guess not.
None of you know anything.
At least the police are involved so hopefully this gets sorted before anyone actually gets hurt.
Nice to see that the Arsenal Fan Base is such a big tent politically. I think.
It’s got to be to hold us all with so much space between.
This thread has finally convinced me it is not worth my time reading comments any more – pretty shameful. I’ll read Blogs and that will be it.
“Don’t give up Jack” Titanic or some such?…COYArseblog! 🙂
I was just going to post “The lengths Ozil will go to to avoid playing in Newcastle” because I assumed everyone would understand it to be clear satire given the unquestionable seriousness of the situation, but given the replies here, I felt the need to explain I was joking.
There is no way this makes sense as anything other than a genuine police concern.
If it is a genuine police concern, they have no business playing a children’s game in Almost Scotland.
Reading about two footballers unable to play due to a threat to them or their family is depressing, but not as depressing as reading some of the comments on here somehow blaming these same players. Our players. Players grom the team that we support. Men who were attacked a few days ago.
I would have thought that we could empathise with the facts in the first line without being swayed by tribal loyalties, but even that isn’t sufficient for some. Unbelievable..
Ozil is simply a coward.You dont mix with Erdogan and except not to be targetted by this opponents. I dont care about the number of thumbs down. Ozil should MAN UP.
The crims have won this one..
Hope this is incentive enough for Ozil to leave. Please leave.
I don’t know what sort of insensitive weirdo you are, but it’s just as worrying that another one has actually agreed with you.
Possible self-like?
Brilliant plan by Emery to ship Me$$$ut Ozil out of the club. Sweet life though, another 350k in the bank , for watching TV from home