crinkly_ears | A Week In Turkey & Germany: Sami Khedira Talks Affectionately, Press Notes & Arrival In Germany! (Reply)

♥Samisut For Your Wednesday Morning - Sami Khedira As Sporting Press Ombudsman!

(Originally posted October 5, 2011)

A year ago this week - a comforting cuddle during the match against Turkey.

Dearest friend in the entire world Sami Khedira had the following to say in a very sharp interview with SportBild yesterday (entitled: "The Discussion Surrounding Me Is Lacking In Respect"). Unlike Mesut, who is a rather bland interview subject at the best of times, Sami never has a problem telling the scum in the German sporting press what's what!

The translation is by darling Karin (

soccergirl63) of

sami_khedira and if you want to read the rest of the interview in English head on over to this community's affiliate because she's done a lovely job. I include Sami's comments on himself as well as those on Mesut because they really illuminate the trouble with German sports coverage in general when it comes to Mesut as well as Sami. And here is the LINK TO THE INTERVIEW in German at SportBild.

Do you think that you are at a disadvantage, that since you are abroad you are not so much in focus?

No, Jogi Löw watches our games. He is in constant contact with Jose Mourinho. I find it interesting and also very sad how we are valued by the German public.

What do you mean?

The Turks are very proud that one of their players plays at Real Madrid. In Germany the situation is different: Here everybody is looking for a weak point of a player. My well-being does not depend on public opinion. I'd like to name an example.

Go ahead.

I make 10 good games at Real Madrid, I make no bad passes in the game and stabilize our team. There is nothing to be heard about all this in Germany. But when I see a yellow-red card, every newspaper in Germany writes about it.

Mourinho himself named this card "stupid" ...

The second yellow was a stupid mistake by me. But I still ask myself: Are we writing about football or about scandals? That must be some question. I only think about football and listen to the coaches, who work with me on a daily basis. Jose Mourinho spoke to me about the incident and said that he's satisfied with my performances and that the dismissal is in the past".

The change between praise and criticism is even stronger with Özil than with you. How does he react on it?

I like to talk about Mesut very much. He has become a very close friend of mine. The word "star" absolutely applies to Mesut. He is greatly loved in Madrid - by his teammates and by the fans. He is literally feared by opponents. I met him in the U21. Back then he was still a real child. He has matured quickly and is a real star now. He transmits that he wants to achieve more, to win titles. It is absolutely right that he be regarded as a major player for Real.

Mesut as a child with the U21.
And really - what''s changed?

My own thoughts (for what it's worth) -

As you all know, I myself have often been distressed by the line the German press takes on Mesut. When I look up match-coverage for my little round-ups I find that there is a definite tone in the coverage. Having predicted disaster after he transferred to Real Madrid, the press is still desperate for Mesut (and Sami, for that matter) to fail. Oddly enough, they seem to be fulfilling a similar longing among the readership (those who bother to comment) - because both players (and Mesut in particular) seem to bring out a weird, latent, passive-aggressive, perhaps racially-tinged dislike in the readership. Or as

sashatwen put it recently: Mesut is just a sad little cultural orphan!

A typical example: Mesut's father's throw-away line in their interview together for Welt Am Sonntag, which I translated for this community recently. The press coverage of the interview is now focused on the single comment that Mesut could become a focal point for Madrid's game and none of the qualifications that came with it ("If Mesut continues to improve"). Since the Spanish sporting press simply repeat what the German press has to say, this is now becoming a minor scandal this week in their coverage of the interview. This is shameful, and fails to take into account what Mesut said (which should be more important) about simply wanting his starting place. The coverage in the English press is equally contemptible.

But never mind! We have Sami Khedira to the rescue! And that's all to the good, because Mesut isn't the type to defend himself properly.

Mesut Arrives in Germany, Gets Stuck In Traffic & Is Written Up By Bild (Of Course!)

Mesut arrived at the Team hotel this afternoon.

He was nearly an hour and a a half late having been stuck in Autobahn traffic on his way to Mainz.

He also looked faintly horrified to discover that, late or not, the press was still waiting for him!

They didn't seem to have much success in getting him to say anything though.

He didn't make it to practice this afternoon, resulting in the sad sight of Sami Khedira at practice, looking rather lonely!

Alone in a crowd!

Here's Joachim Loew's statement on Mesut (also on Toni Kroos - who has influenza). The video begins with him talking about poor little Kroos. His comments on Mesut begin at 1:13 and are translated by me,

jenny_jenkins

"This is a game that will of course summon up certain emotions for him. It's in Turkey. No question: he'll have to - we'll all have to - live with it. It's certain that some of the public will probably cat-call. But I do think that a player who plays at Real Madrid and who has played in the past season 6 times (it was actually 7) against FC Barcelona - I think if you watched those games and what went along with it - what it's like to play for Real Madrid IN Barcelona or even at other clubs then I do think that over this time period he's matured so much that he can simply put the whistling and jeering behind him and just concentrate on that which is happening on the pitch."

Bild Zeitung, quotes Joachim Loew further (the press conference was nearly an hour long). "He simply brings joy to the game, regardless of what the bystanders are doing." Also: "We intend to remain undefeated."