Ozil convinced Uighurs support contributed to Arsenal axe | OneFootball

Mesut Ozil believes his axe from Arsenal's Premier League squad is due to his public support of the Uighurs in China.

He launched a scathing attack on his employers on Wednesday in which he accused Arsenal of disloyalty, before pointedly adding that he will continue to use his global profile to fight against inhumanity.

The Daily Mail claims the statement is understood to reference his online support of the Uighurs, highlighting the reported abuse they receive in China.

China's state broadcaster, CCTV, responded by dropping coverage of Arsenal's Premier League game against Manchester City the following day, while Ozil's comments were condemned by the Chinese foreign ministry and the Chinese FA.

He was removed from Chinese editions of the Pro Evolution Soccer video game and his profile was erased from the social media platform Weibo, on which he had four million followers.

Arsenal retain a significant commercial presence in China, where the club own a restaurant chain and have an official lottery partner and vehicle provider, which has strengthened Ozil's conviction that he has been singled out.