Home
Politics
The Brazil-born former German striker also declined to give unequivocal backing to Reinhard Grindel when asked if the DFB president resigning would be helpful.
"That is difficult to say at the moment, because the discussion is still very emotional," he told broadcaster ARD late Thursday.
Oezil quit the Germany team citing discrimination and racism, following a controversial photograph taken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in London in May.
The picture taken ahead of Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections triggered a backlash in the media and among some members of DFB, which snowballed after Germany's early exit from the World Cup.
Cacau told the Bild paper on Friday that Oezil seemed to know what he was doing with the photo "and if he did it knowingly, then he should have realized that it would have consequences.
"Therefore, the charge of racism against the DFB is baseless and unjustified."
From Cacau's point of view, not only did Oezil make a mistake with the photo and the long silence afterwards "rather also the DFB, who did not give a clear direction from the outset and then followed on.
"There was one statement one day and another the next. And that was difficult."
Cacau called the racism accusations from Oezil as "very hard" and said he himself had experienced nothing like that in his years at the DFB despite his own migration background.
Oezil being a highly talented player means expectations are high and "criticism of a player with a migration background is not automatically racism."
And Cacau lamented the perception of the ongoing debate.
"You have the feeling, when you watch and read the news that Germany has an extensive racism problem. That's not the case."
Oezil quit the Germany team citing discrimination and racism, following a controversial photograph taken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in London in May.
The picture taken ahead of Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections triggered a backlash in the media and among some members of DFB, which snowballed after Germany's early exit from the World Cup.
Cacau told the Bild paper on Friday that Oezil seemed to know what he was doing with the photo "and if he did it knowingly, then he should have realized that it would have consequences.
"Therefore, the charge of racism against the DFB is baseless and unjustified."
From Cacau's point of view, not only did Oezil make a mistake with the photo and the long silence afterwards "rather also the DFB, who did not give a clear direction from the outset and then followed on.
"There was one statement one day and another the next. And that was difficult."
Cacau called the racism accusations from Oezil as "very hard" and said he himself had experienced nothing like that in his years at the DFB despite his own migration background.
Oezil being a highly talented player means expectations are high and "criticism of a player with a migration background is not automatically racism."
And Cacau lamented the perception of the ongoing debate.
"You have the feeling, when you watch and read the news that Germany has an extensive racism problem. That's not the case."
