Overview

• The play, titled "Der Zauberer von Öz – eine Fußballtragödie," opens Thursday at Theater Bremen’s Kleines Haus and is written by Akin Emanuel Şipal.
• Şipal says the work centers on society and the migration discourse rather than football itself.
• Mesut Özil is not involved in the production and did not respond to contact requests from the author or the dpa.
• Werder Bremen has formally distanced itself from its former player, citing a recent development that does not align with the club’s values and excluding him from a teammate’s farewell match.
• Coverage notes reports that Özil was elected to the AKP party board earlier this year, with Recep Tayyip Erdogan described as his best man.