Man admits to trying to rob Mesut Ozil and Arsenal teammate

A man has admitted to attempting to rob German-Turkish footballer Mesut Ozil and fellow Arsenal player Sead Kolasinac in a terrifying July incident.

The two footballers were attacked by an armed moped gang as they drove through Hampstead, London.

Now, 30-year-old Ashley Smith has pleaded guilty to attempting to steal watches from Ozil and Kolasinac, Press Association reported.

Smith will be charged on 1 November. Another man has also been charged over the incident and will appear in court the same day.

Footage circulating on social media after the attempted robbery showed Kolasinac bravely warding off the robbers. 

The Bosnian defender jumped out of a vehicle to fight off two men armed with knives. The attackers had pulled up alongside their car on mopeds.

The footballers were then pursued for more than a mile by the assailants. 

Ozil, his wife and Kolasinac then fled inside a Turkish restaurant on Golders Green where they are regulars. Ozil was seen speaking to police outside the restaurant after the incident.

"Ozil looked absolutely terrified, as anybody would after being chased by men with knives. He looked like he was running for his life," a witness told the Daily Mail.

Ozil was driving his black Mercedes G-Class when they were attacked.

His distinctive car with its gold trim was seen left in the middle of Golders Green Road with the driver's door left open.

"We have been in contact with both players and they are fine," Arsenal football club said in a statement published after the incident.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "It was reported that suspects on motorbikes had attempted to rob a man who was driving a car. The driver, along with his passenger, managed to get away unharmed and travelled to a restaurant in Golders Green, where they were spoken to by officers."

Ozil and Kolasinac have been friends since their teenage years, when they played together in Germany. 

Agencies contributed to this report.

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