Mesut Ozil, former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder, declared on Wednesday his retirement from professional football. Ozil, 34, was playing in Turkey with Fenerbahce for two years now, since the termination of his contract with Arsenal.

The soccer player began his career with a game against Schalke in the Bundesliga, the German league, and Weder Bremen. From there, he rose to become a superstar in the soccer field for Madrid, and then grew to become one of the biggest names in the game.

Sharing his decision in a post on social media, Ozil said, "After thoughtful consideration, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football."

He added that while he has played for nearly two decades, his recent injuries have forced him to hang his boots.

"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity. But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, its become more and more clear that its time to leave the big stage of football," Ozil said.

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Bengaluru: A controversial statement made by Karnataka High Court Judge, Justice V. Srishananda during judicial proceedings has gone viral across social media platforms. The Judge’s remarks have sparked widespread outrage from different quarters.

In the purported video doing rounds on social media, the judge allegedly stated that, "Anyone can get married. However, the practice of staying with the leader only on the first night still exists in Surapura taluk of Yadgir district, they are then second hand."

The Maharishi Valmiki Nayaka Sangha and the Union of Mass Organizations called for a bandh on January 13 to express their disapproval. A formal petition demanding action against the judge has been submitted to the President, the Chief Justice of India, and the Karnataka Governor through the Yadgir Deputy Commissioner.

This is not the first time the judge has sparked controversy with his remarks. In September 2024, Justice V. Srishananda referred to Goripalya in Bengaluru as ‘Pakistan.’ He had allegedly stated, “The police are afraid to take action against the criminals of Goripalya in Bengaluru, because it is in Pakistan.”

In addition, another video of the judge allegedly speaking in an indecent manner with a woman lawyer had also gone viral, prompting a suo-motu cognizance by the Supreme Court. The apex court had directed the Karnataka High Court Registrar to submit a report within two weeks, after which Justice Srishananda reportedly expressed regret for his remarks.

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