Leave integration talk out of football, says Altintop

Turkey midfielder Hamit Altintop insisted Wednesday the decision of footballers with an immigration background to opt to play for Germany is no evidence of successful integration here.

With the hosts set to face Turkey in a Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, much attention has been placed on Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil, who has Turkish parents and was the star of the World Cup.

The diverse Germany team was praised by Federal president Christian Wulff on Tuesday at a ceremony in Berlin to honour their third-placed finish at the World Cup in South Africa and the squad was awarded the Silver Laurel Leaf.

The team has been repeatedly held up as an example of modern Germany with 11 of the 23-man squad having roots outside of Germany, but Altintop said the decision which country to play for often comes down to purely selfish reasons.

“I know that it is simply a matter of perspective to the question: with which organisation can I better develop myself?,” Altintop told German daily paper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

“Football is sometimes a matter of the heart, but more often it is a business decision.

“I respect those decisions, but when people ask me if I have sympathy with them, then I say no.

“Sorry, but I think these choices have nothing to do with integration.”

Bayern Munich midfielder Altintop was born in Gelsenkirchen and like his twin brother Halil, a striker for Eintracht Frankfurt, is part of the Turkey squad bidding to shock Germany.

Around 30,000 Turkey supporters are expected in Berlin on Friday for their Euro 2012 qualifier as 1.66 million Turks and 700,000 Germans of Turkish origin live in Germany.

Altintop says the decision of Ozil to opt to play for Germany over Turkey was not something he understands.

“I am a tolerant man and I respect Mesut’s way, but I can not support what he has done,” he said having played with Ozil when the pair were at Schalke 04.

“It doesn’t change the fact that I really like him, he is not just a friend, he is more like a brother.”

Altintop points to the fact Ozil has earned himself a multi-million euros transfer to Real Madrid and a bigger salary on the back of his Germany performances.

“If he had opted for Turkey, he would have not played in the World Cup and would not be at Real Madrid. It is that simple,” said Altintop.

Altintop said he never considered playing for Germany.

“I knew I would always play for Turkey,” he said having won 59 caps for his country.

“I am very, very grateful to Germany, I have learned a lot and been given a lot of chances.

“But my mother is from Turkey, my father is from Turkey, I am a Turk.”