The father of Mesut Ozil yesterday said his son should quit Germany's national squad after he was made the scapegoat for Die Mannschaft's shock first-round defeat at the World Cup.

Ozil, 29, has come in for criticism in Germany after the World Champions crashed out in Russia. Pressure had already been mounting on the Arsenal midfielder over a controversial photograph with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was seized on to question his loyalty to Germany.