oblwankenobi:

“It’s so strange. The negative criticism came out of nowhere: it went from zero to 100. I went from being the darling of German football, the jewel in the crown, to being hammered in the media. [Although] I don’t think the criticism of my performances is to do with my background, with my parents being Turkish. I’m third generation. I was born in Germany, grew up in Germany and many of my friends are German. I love playing for Germany. I’m proud I can play for the national team.”