Mesut Ozil: Fans Protest Against Germany Over Racial Abuse of Former Real Madrid Star During Spain Game

• A section of fans at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar raised photos of Mesut Ozil during the game between Germany and Spain
• The fans were responding to the European nation's protest at the World Cup over the banning of the 'OneLove' armband
• Die Mannschaft shared the spoils with Spain in an entertaining Group E game on Sunday and will next face Costa Rica

A number of fans at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha raised photos and performed the 'close your mouth' gesture, in protest against Germany and their treatment of ex-star Mesut Ozil.

Ozil quit international football after the 2018 World Cup, claiming he is only German when the national team wins.

In response to Germany's recent protest over the banning of the use of the 'OneLove' armband in Qatar, which shows support for the LGBTQ+ community, fans attending the game against Spain reproduced the same gesture.

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"We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard," wrote the official handle of Germany's national football team.

The statement said the gesture was not to do with politics, but rather about human rights being non-negotiable.

"That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position," added DFB.

In videos that have since gone viral on social media, fans held up photos of Ozil and covered their mouths and noses as Germany played the 2010 world champions.

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Niclas Fullkrug's late strike rescued Die Mannschaft from World Cup elimination, as the 2014 champions secured a 1-1 draw against Spain.

Germany will next face Costa Rica in their final group game.

Spain held by Germany

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Fuellkrug's late equaliser snatched Germany a morale-boosting draw with Spain in a heavyweight World Cup clash on Sunday, leaving both sides' hopes of qualifying for the last 16 still in the balance.

Alvaro Morata's flicked finish had Spain on course to secure qualification from Group E, but the electric Jamal Musiala and Fuellkrug combined to foil La Roja and restore some German pride.

Costa Rica's surprise win over Japan earlier eased some pressure on Die Mannschaft after their shock loss to the Asian side, but they were unable to capitalise for large periods in a battle for the ball against Spain.