Chinese state broadcaster drops Arsenal game after Mesut Ozil attacks treatment of Uygurs
- CCTV’s decision to scrap live fixture against Manchester City follows former Germany international’s call for Muslims to speak out about treatment of minorities in Xinjiang
- English Premier League club tried to distance itself from player’s comments but will now wait to see if there are further repercussions
China’s state broadcaster has dropped plans to show a live broadcast of Arsenal’s Sunday fixture against Manchester City after one of its star players attacked Beijing’s treatment of the Uygur minority.
The decision to scrap the English Premier League fixture in favour of a pre-recorded game between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanders was made despite the club’s attempts to distance itself from Mesut Ozil’s comments.
The decision comes month’s after American’s National Basketball Association faced a backlash from fans and sponsors in China after a team manager expressed support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters and Arsenal will now be waiting to see if Ozil’s comments lead to further repercussions.
In Instagram and Twitter posts, Ozil accused Muslims of staying silent over the mistreatment of the Uygur Muslim minority in China, becoming one of the most prominent public figures to condemn Beijing on the issue.
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil faces backlash in China after attacking human rights abuses in Xinjiang
“Korans are burned. Mosques are closed. Their schools are banned,” said the Muslim player, who is often seen praying on the field, “but the Muslim community is silent.”
The club responded with a post on Weibo, where it has more than 5 million followers, distancing itself from the player’s comments.
“The content published is all Ozil’s personal opinion,” the team said. “Arsenal, as a football club, has always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics.”
Arsenal may have been attempting to protect itself from any bitter response from China.
The club, which also operates a sports bar and restaurant in China, announced plans in early 2019 to expand its chain as it seeks to grow its fan base in the region.
A United Nations report said that “upwards of one million” members of Muslim minority groups may have been detained in the far western region of Xinjiang, but the Chinese government has defended its policies saying it is fighting separatism and religious extremism.
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil reaction could spark NBA-style crisis in China for English Premier League
China blacked out some NBA games in October after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet in support of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong.
He deleted the message, but it prompted a fierce public backlash and a number of sponsors cut ties with the league.
Arsenal’s response distancing the club from Ozil’s comments mirror the response of Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who said that Morey did not speak for the club.
More recently, Chinese video-sharing app TikTok suspended, and then later restored, the account of a user after she posted viral videos critical of the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang.
