Mesut Ozil has been a lightning rod of controversy during Germany's run to the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup. The midfielder was one of the stars of the 2010 World Cup as Germany finished in third place. Ozil tied for the most assists in the tournament and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award given to the event's best player. But his impact has been less significant in Brazil. One of his coaches defended Ozil Sunday when asked about Ozil's diminished performance ahead of Germany's match against Brazil on Tuesday. "We see that differently than you do," said German assistant coach Hansi Flick. "Mesut is playing a different position now than he used to and he's got a different assignment now. He's got very strong skills with the ball and on top of that he's improved during the course of the tournament."
After leading La Liga in assists for three straight seasons, Ozil joined Arsenal last year from Real Madrid in a transfer that cost $65 million (£42.5 million). It was nearly triple the previous most expensive transfer in the history of the Gunners and ranked as the third highest ever in British soccer. Ozil inked a five-year deal with Arsenal worth $63 million. The 25-year-old German ranks No. 89 on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes with earnings of $18.5 million over the last 12 months. His biggest deal off the pitch is with Adidas. Ozil had a contentious break from Nike before signing a seven-year deal with Adidas in 2013 worth an estimated $35 million. Ozil is the face of their Predator line of cleats.
