crinkly_ears | Video Archive: Mesut's Very, Very Long Interview (One Half Hour) With Cadena Ser In October Of 2010. (Reply)

Video Archive: Mesut's Very Long Interview (One Half Hour) With Cadena Ser In October Of 2010.

Translated by me,

jenny_jenkins, with some difficulty. Mesut's voice is dubbed-over so translation mistakes were inevitable. Questions are deduced from the answers because I don't speak Spanish. The first half of the interview is all in one video. The second half is in 9 seperate videos of only about 2 minutes each.

Interviewer: Good Evening.

(Long awkward pause – you can hear the translator telling Mesut “Good Evening” in German).

Mesut (staring at the ceiling with a faintly panicked air): Good Evening.

Question 1 (which runs along the lines of “do you normally go around dressed like that”) –

(Mesut laughs) I’m coming directly from the Gala. The team was there, it was a very nice experience - a great atmosphere and I had a lot of fun.

Question 2 – the interviewer asks about a singer who performed there.

Mesut: Yes, very nicely sung – in every way. I couldn’t understand much of it, but it sounded very nice…he also sang for Real Madrid and it was very nice.

Question 3 – The interviewer seems to ask if he’s familiar with the flamenco.

Mesut: I’ve heard it before but…ummm…I’ve heard it before but it’s naturally a dance with its own music and of course it’s very nice because…yes…it's simply a part of Spain and…yes.

Question 4 – The interviewer asks what he likes to listen to.

Mesut: Sometimes rap, sometimes Turkish music…everything really…but mostly rap.

Question 5 – The interviewer asks if he had an opportunity to meet Madrid’s number one fan-girl Rafa Nadal that evening.

Mesut: I’d met him before, he visited us in the dressing room (really?) and we met each other there. He won a prize today and…yes…

Question 6 – The interviewer seems to ask if he had difficulty coming to the interview - what with the Gala and all that.

Mesut: I had free time today and I was prepared to come and I said I would come the day before and of course I’m happy to be here.

Question 7 – The interviewer seems to be teasing him about his answer to the last comment.

Mesut: Naturally I gladly do interviews now and then, but I prefer kicking a ball and that, for me, is what fun is.

Question 8 – The interviewer asks him what he did with his free time that day.

Mesut: I slept in a little bit at home and then my friends visited me. I had 4 or 5 hours of Spanish lessons because I’m learning Spanish and then I went to the Gala.

Question 9 – The interviewer asks him about his friends – are they Spanish?

Mesut: Oh no, they visited me ‘specially from Germany – my brother and friends I’ve known from childhood and they flew in today and I picked them up.

Question 10 – The interviewer asks if they watched one of the games that played on TV that day.

Mesut: Sadly, no [incomprehensible] they are only here for one day and that was more important, I think.

Question 11 – The dreaded integration question – he’s a German with Turkish roots!

Mesut: Exactly. Not just my grandparents but also my parents, so I’m now in the third generation in Germany and have plenty of friends, whether they are German or of an immigrant background and I’ve always felt good there because I grew up there and went to school there and have always been treated well there – whenever I’m in Germany.

Question 12 – I can’t understand the question. I think he’s being asked how his two “sides” come together.

I also can’t make out the answer – so it hardly matters. Damn you, you dubbing interpreter!

Question 13 – The interviewer asks him the dreaded “Muslim” question! Is he a practicing Muslim?

Mesut: Yes. (short and sweet!)

There is a marvelous, lengthy pause – plainly the interviewer was expecting something more substantial.

Question 14 – More of the same.

Mesut: Yes, I’m Muslim (Mesut appears to take pity on his interviewer and expands on his answer – an interesting turn of events since it is normally his interviewers who take pity on him). I was brought up that way. My parents are Muslim, I’m Muslim and…that’s what I believe.

Question 15 – The dreaded “Ramadan” question – and does he eat pork or drink wine?

Mesut (laughs – because he’s sweet-natured): I don’t ever eat Pork, it’s a sin with us and I’ve never even tried it and there really are plenty of other delicious types of meat which we are allowed to eat.

Question 16 – What about wine?

Mesut: Naturally now and then – when there’s a birthday or when a friend has a birthday – it tastes nice and I believe it is very good for the health.

Question 17 – How many siblings?

Mesut: All together we are 4 – 1 brother and two younger sisters.

Question 18 – The “what does your father do?” question.

Mesut: My father was an independent business man (with two businesses) and Mummy was a house-wife.

Question 19 – How did he come to play football?

Mesut: I was very young. I came to it through my older brother. I watched all his games and I said to my Papa “I want to play too – I want to join a team”. And ever since then I’ve loved football – it’s a huge part of my life. Whenever I saw a ball, as a child, it just gave me joy [incomprehensible] and on the field…

Question 20 – Did his father play football?

Mesut: Yes, when he was younger. But my whole family, I should say – my brother plays with a team and it forms an important part of our lives.

Question 21 – What kind of a student was he?

Mesut (hesitates): I managed. I wasn’t bad but I wasn’t good either. I finished school and that’s very important, I think. (I love how responsible Mesut is. It’s like interviewing 101 – always remember there are kids listening who should be doing their homework!)

Question 22 – Did he ever want to be anything besides a footballer?

Mesut (quite a long pause): I don’t know. I always wanted to play football because I never did anything but watch the games or kick a ball around outside with my friends and my goal was always to play football. I’ve given everything for this and…[incomprehensible].

Question 23 – The interviewer asks him…something.

Mesut: Naturally. I started out playing against older people – my friends against my brother’s friends…it was always a lot of fun…and of course I watched a lot of games…and I realized I had the potential to play…(the ellipses represent where I couldn’t hear what he was saying).

Question 24 – Did he watch the Spanish Liga on TV?

Mesut: Yes of course. The derbies against Barcelona or Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid – I watched those. But it was very difficult to watch games while I was playing in Germany because we played at the same time…

Question 25 – The interviewer asks about Raul – who left for Mesut’s first club Schalke.

Mesut: Of course. He was a legend, I should say, and he shot the most Champions League goals and as a small boy he was a good example for me – he was ice-cold (unintelligible) and now he’s in the city I was born in, Gelsenkirchen, and of course I wish him all the best. Sadly I haven’t met him but nevertheless I wish him all the best.

Question 26 – The interviewer asks why he chose Madrid.

Mesut: Naturally, my goal was to play with the biggest club in the world and…(once again, his voice is drowned out)…and my goal is to stay healthy and to win titles with the team.

Question 27 – Did the Turkish “selection” – the Turkish National Team, the interviewer means – ever enter the picture for him?

Mesut (a long, long, pause): No I had already decided to play for Germany – and no other nation ever came into question. I grew up there, three generations of my family live there, all my friends are there, I played in all the youth teams and for that reason I always wanted to play for Germany.

Question 28 – What sort of feedback has he got from his Turkish fans?

Mesut: Oh very positive! Whenever I’m on the street the people wish me all the best and are very proud of me and they follow what I am doing here in Real Madrid and press their thumbs for me (death threats? What death threats?)…

Question 29 – The “Angela Merkel photograph” question! (Note: Like all Spanish interviewers, the questioner is under the false impression that the scandal that erupted after that photograph was released was because Mesut was photographed without his shirt on – not because the photograph was used for political purposes following the Germany-Turkey match. The German Football Federation publically complained about their footballer being used as a political tool. This point is usually “lost in translation”).

Mesut: The meeting went like this: I got a knock on my ankle and so I went directly to the dressing room (it had nothing to do with the fact that he’d been hissed at, jeered, cursed and whistled for 90 minutes straight! Honest!) and of course I took my sweaty things off (nnnngggghhhh) I took my jersey off and of course I still had stuff on…it was only my upper body…it was like in a swimming pool and I came out and there she was and it was a very funny moment.

Question 30 – The interviewer asks him about the World Cup.

Mesut: Naturally the World Cup is the biggest tournament in the world and the whole world watches and there I was able to show the world what I could do and now I’m here at the biggest club in the world and I want to continue to develop and the most important thing is that we, as a team, manage to win titles and we have the potential to do it.

Question 31 – The interviewer asks about the semi-final against Spain. What impression did he come away with?

Mesut: Naturally the whole team, through the whole tournament played really beautiful football and they really earned their championship. Of course we (the German National Team) would have liked to have won but Spain was better and had such great individual players and they are a very strong team.

Question 32: Did he exchange shirts with anyone after the game?

Mesut: Unfortunately not. I was disappointed and went straight to the locker-room.

The Interviewer seems to be informing his audience that if they’ve only just tuned in, the sweet-natured, diffident fellow they’ve been listening to is Mesut Oezil of Real Madrid and the interview will continue…

Question 33: The Interviewer’s question is missing – or I didn’t properly understand.

Mesut: Naturally, as I’ve already said, Madrid is the best club in the world, in a beautiful city – a large city which is very interesting - with lovely weather that “plays along” – the best club, the people are very nice and of course I’m very happy to be here.

Question 34: The Interviewer informs his listeners that Mesut looks “very elegant” before asking how he came to sign with the club.

Mesut: Naturally it was very nice. I was in Spain on holiday, in Mallorca with my friends and it was very nice because I was able to spend time with my family and friends and when the offer came I discussed it with them and they were all very happy and very happy (he uses two different German words to describe happiness – and, as an aside, his brother’s name also means “happy” and his elder sister’s name means “joyful” – his parents are apparently very single-minded) and…[incomprehensible]

Mesut: I felt I could develop under Mourinho and now I’m here and I’m on a good path. The team supports me very well – we’re like a little family and you can feel it on the field…and I love that about Real Madrid.

Question 35 - The interviewer asks if he was courted by Barcelona .

Mesut (a long pause, then he laughs): I’m here, and that means that no other club came into question.

Question 36 – More of the same.

Mesut (again, a long pause): That stays between me and my agent and I’m here now and I’m very happy. Very happy.

Question 37 – The interviewer asks…something.

Mesut: No not at all. I came here directly and went to my first training. My new teammates approached me and said “we’re happy you’re here”…and that’s what it’s like at Real Madrid…you really feel that we are like a family and everyone supports everyone else – and we’ll be successful because of this, I think. (awwwwzil)

Question 38 – The interviewer asks…something.

Mesut: Yes it is different. A new city…and a new language to learn, which is very important to me because I…(video cuts off)

Mesut: (continued from the last): …really want to be able to communicate properly with my teammates and so, during the week, I take Spanish lessons. It’s all very nice. The food here is really nice too and, like I said before, the people are really nice.

Question 39: The interviewer asks…something (probably what Mesut’s been up to).

Mesut: Oh lots! We go out to eat and drink and…yes…I’ve seen some parts of the city and where I live. I really like to be at home with my friends.

Question 40: The interviewer asks about Mesut’s “recording” with Jan Delay.

Mesut (laughs and gives an enormously sexy sigh): Ach! I wouldn’t call it a “record” – I did it for my sponsors. In Germany Jan Delay is a very successful, or I should say, very prominent rapper who is a Werder Bremen fan and we got together and…personally it was a lot of fun but I obviously don’t have the voice (music) to be a singer. It was very funny.

Question 41: The interviewer asks…something. I think I can hear the word “Mourinho” in there! I also hear the word “Milan” and from the answer I would guess that the interviewer is asking why Mesut’s last game wasn’t as good as some earlier ones.

Mesut: Naturally I’m a person; I’m not a robot that can always play perfectly. When I’m on the field I always try to bring my best effort. What’s important is that we, as a team, are successful. My goal is to develop myself further as a player and, like I said, there are days when it doesn’t go as well, and there are days when it does.

Question 42: The interviewer asks Mesut to name the strongest player - or his favourite.

Mesut (striving for diplomacy): I really couldn’t say. I have no favourite. They all have their qualities. There are players like Cristiano Ronaldo, or Pepe – who is so strong in defence. What’s important is that we work well as a team – we do everything to achieve that. We want to get titles, we want to develop – we are a young team and I think we’ll keep improving.

Question 43: The interviewer asks the infamous “do you get along better with the Muslims on the team” question.

Mesut: There are a couple of players who are Muslim and I know Sami Khedira from the National Team and from the Bundesliga and we played together for years and know each other really well. With my other Teammates – like Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentines – Higuain and di Maria – we get along really well. And actually, I get along well with all of them. We talk to each other in Spanish and when I say something wrong they laugh at me and we have a lot of fun on the team.

Question 44: Do you take your girlfriend’s son to school?

Mesut (after a long pause): Now and then yes – but the school is one minute away (from the house) so my girlfriend normally does it.

Question 45: And the children at the school when they see you?

Mesut (laughs): Naturally when I pick up the little one from school then the children come up to me and call my name and ask for autographs – and of course if I can make the children happy then that is very nice.

Question 46: The difference between fans in Germany and Spain?

Mesut: In most ways it’s the same. Lots of people watch there, just as they do here and people come directly up to me and ask for autographs and to take pictures. At first they hold back a little – to see if it’s all right but…(incomprehensible – dubbing is too loud). (I get the impression that he doesn’t mind being approached, so Katee will be fine when she tracks him down on her up-coming trip).

Question 47: The Interviewer asks about the upcoming match against Atletico Madrid.

Mesut: Naturally they have very good individual players. The game is a Derby and our goal is to win it at home. And hopefully we’ll manage.

Question 48: He’s asked how he thinks the game will go.

Mesut: Naturally it will be an aggressive game but we’re playing at home and our goal is to get the 3 points and we’ll give everything for that.

Question 49: He’s asked about Forlan, Kun Aguero and the other thugs on the Atleti team – which does he think will be a threat.

Mesut: Well naturally Forlan, who I’ve played in the World Cup (and beaten too! A promising early start to Mesut’s brilliant Derby career) and of course we know his aggressive offensive qualities and…

…that he’s very “goal dangerous” and our task will be to contain their offence while succeeding in ours. If we do as the coach says, we’ll be fine.

Question 50: Which of the World Footballer of the year candidates does he like? (Mesut was one of them, of course).

Mesut (ever the soul of diplomacy): Oh. That’s really difficult. There are all great players and the fans will have to choose and I really don’t know. (incomprehensible).

Question 51 – Xavi, Iniesta, Sneijder? He must choose!

Mesut (a long pause): Um…it’s too difficult. They’re all good players. They’ve all won titles – Xavi and Iniesta at the World Cup and Sneijder in the Champions League. It’s too difficult – far too difficult to say. They are world class players and it is too difficult to say.

Question 52: who knows! It makes Mesut laugh, which is nice!

Mesut: In Germany…(incomprehensible – something about interviews).

Question 53: What’s his favourite place?

Mesut: Where I come from, Gelsenkirchen – and where I am, Madrid.

Question 54: His favourite food?

Mesut: Meleman (at least he’s consistent) – it’s a Turkish recipe. You make it with eggs, tomato, onions and Turkish garlic sausage.

Question 55: drink?

Mesut (a slight pause): Iced Tea (I think he pauses because he can’t decide between it and Orange Fanta – his other favourite drink).

Question 56: His favourite actor?

Mesut: My favourite actor is Robert di Niro and my favourite movie is “Hang-over”.

Question 57: What’s his favourite book.

Mesut (not understanding the question): Hangover – a very funny movie, extremely funny!

Question 58: What’s he like to read?

Mesut: Very seldom. I only read newspapers.

Question 59: What was the last book you read?

Mesut: In school. A German book…a grammar book, maybe a math book…(the interviewer laughs loudly – hey at least he’s honest! I still don’t believe di Maria reads Shakespeare!).

Question 60: His favourite singer?

Mesut: Unfortunately he’s dead. But I really liked Michael Jackson. Both for his songs and for the way he danced.

Question 61: His favourite stadium?

Mesut: Bernabeu. 100%.

Question 62: His mission in life?

Mesut: I don’t know. My motto is “honesty and hard work will suffice” and I try to live that way.

Question 63: Which I can’t make out.

Mesut: There are so many lovely places. The weather is warm. I don’t have to travel to be in the sun. It’s warmer than Germany – I always feel warm.

Question 64: His dream?

Mesut: My dream is to stay healthy and that I can be with my family as often as possible.

The Interviewer thanks him for coming.

Mesut: You’re welcome!

Footage of Mesut being taken to the roof to get a look at Madrid from the top of the building.