crinkly_ears | Salad Days For Samisut & Mesut's Press Conference

Salad Days For Samisut & Mesut's Press Conference - Fully Translated!
He Doesn't Have Time For Facebook Anyway & The Natürlich Drinking Game!

Karim Benzema injured for the big game tomorrow, ditto for Lukas Podolski - that means there's no one to cling to Mesut's side making sad puppy-dog eyes this week or to openly and aggressively nibble on his ears!

What is this wetness on my cheek?

Sami, at any rate, seems entirely content with this state of affairs! Quite frankly, he looks like the cat that got the cream!

At any rate - our favourite bromance is quite inseparable! There are 20+ photographs of the boys looking some variation of this -

"You're so clever Sami!"

Mesut showed up in the new green and white training kit. Very appropriate for Bremen!

As many of us know, Mesut is Nike's highest paid athlete after Cristiano Ronaldo. Mesut comes in as #3 after Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the all-time list and makes double what the likes of Michael Ballack did in his hey-day. But Nike is fully justified in paying him so obscenely when he so dutifully shows up - and skillfully show-cases their handiwork - in a sea of DFB Adidas logos!

The sheer amount of product placement in this picture is actually hilarious!
Very subtle Mesut! Material Boy indeed!

The Press Conference - Fully Translated!

Rules of the Game: A shot of your liquor of choice every time Mesut says Natürlich!

Winner: any member of the

crinkly_ears community who is still standing after 15 minutes!

Translated by me,

jenny_jenkins

As Stanger enters the room with Mesut, he can be heard, very faintly, telling Mesut to speak softly because the microphone is too strong.

Stanger begins by apologizing for the microphone quality and as he speaks, Mesut can be heard being told told to lower his microphone so the photographers can get a better picture. The photographs taken at this moment are interspersed between the transript of this post.

From minute 1:25 onward:

Stanger: The DFB fan-club is an institution with over 50,000 members and there are all sorts of events that take place before the game. Today for example, the winner of an essay-writing competition meets with the representative of Adidas, Manfred Drexler, who is an important person for us as a member of the "team behind the team" and then finally gets to visit the training grounds. Tomorrow other essay-writing winners will get a tour through the dressing room and the stadium. For the spectators who are coming tomorrow there will be free face-painting - there will be a long line-up though! And finally Klaus Allofs who we don't have to introduce here in Bremen (he's the director of Werder Bremen, Mesut's old club), will take new membership of the DFB fan-club.

And finally Mesut. Before the game Mesut will be honoured by two members of the fan-club and Oliver Bierhoff as "National Team Player of 2011". It was a vote held by the membership and they made a clear choice. I had to tell Mesut beforehand that he'd won because he didn't know. (How is this possible? The vote was held in December!)

So Mesut, what's that like? Is it an honour? Does it make you happy to be distinguished? I've just made it impossible for you to say no...(Mesut smiles)

I'm of course very happy about it. It's a very nice distinction for me and for that reason I'd like to thank the fans that they've given me this trust.

Mesut. This game in Bremen is special for you - the first of the new year. I suppose that like Miroslav Klose (whose old club is also Werder Bremen - the highlight of his club career) that you'll be meeting up with lots of old friends and will be very warmly greeted. What do you think of this game as the first of the European campaign against a strong opponent like France.

I'm looking forward to the encounter with France. It will be difficult for us, because France is a very strong team. Our goal is to summon up our potential and to win the game. And I'm happy, of course, most especially to be back in Bremen. I'll see my old friends here and I'm looking forward to that.

Mr Ozil, perhaps you could tell us what it was like to be back in Bremen after such a long time?

Naturally, it was naturally (!) a very strange feeling, to be back in Bremen and I met up straight away with a couple of friends and I'm just happy to be here.

Stanger (apparently not satisfied with how short Mesut's answer is!): I can back that up by the way. Mesut was in the hotel with lots of guests and old pals paying visits and I'm sure they made very good use of their time.

Such detail of his beautiful face! Hey - sashatwen - was Mesut sutured up on his chin?

Stanger: We have one microphone here. First we'll go to this journalist and then to that journalist over there and if it could go in the direction of the camera...well actually it doesn't seem all that easy does it? (Mesut laughs)

Mr Ozil. That you are happy in Madrid - one hears that from all sides. Could you say something personally about your development? How have you developed further as a person? And perhaps as a follow-up: is there anything you miss about Bremen - something that might have been better - the peace and quiet as compared with Madrid?

(Mesut laughs) I'm happy, of course, to be allowed to play at the biggest club in the world. And I have developed there, I've become far more mature. Of course I have to integrate there: learn the language, learn about the culture. The people who are there made my life easier; they helped me a great deal, and I'm happy to have been able to learn about this culture.*

Mr Ozil. What do your Spanish teammates think of Germany in the role of favourites? Have you had any exchanges back and forth about it. Have any claims been made about it or is not a theme in Spain?

Now and then we joke about it in practice of course. They have a great deal of respect, of course, just as we have respect for them. They know how strong we are, we know how strong they are. Our goal is to get a good result, of course, and the title, at any rate, and I am convinced we are going to manage it.

Stanger: The next journalist. (Stanger begins to direct traffic) We're going to have move the microphone all the way to the back row...yes move it over there and then we can start - yes please go through - a hand is being held up and please the hold the microphone up...

(The journalist introduces himself) In Holland after the 3-0 defeat (in November) that Germany is simply further along, is simpy developing better and is also the big favourite for the European Championship. Do you agree with that?

I think Holland is also a favourite. It was a friendly. We very clearly won the game but one musn't underestimate ~~those accursed Orangemen~~ the Dutch. Of course Germany has a very young team, a very hungry team that is hungry for success and you can see on the pitch that we have a lot of fun, that we all get along very well, and it's simply a lot of fun for me personally to be allowed to play with the German National Team.

Today Theo Zwanziger will be getting his private farewell from the team (Dr Theo Zwanziger is the head of the German federation who unexpectedly announced he'd be stepping down last December). He said that he has a very good relationship with this new generation of young footballers but he said very specifically that he treasures his relationship with you - that his relationship with you - Mesut Ozil - is important to him. That's what Theo Zwanziger said. What is your relationship with the federation president?

He helped me in every way. We understand each other and I think it's a shame that he's going to stop. And of course we'll have a few private exchanges with him. But I'm very sorry that he'll be stopping. (The German is about as awkward!)

Mesut - practically no one understands the Spaniards as well and so closely as you do. What does the German National Team have to do differently, to do better in order to win? Play offensively, play defensively, perhaps with back-heel goals like Ronaldo (a reference to Cristiano Ronaldo's cheeky back-heel goal - the game winner and the only goal of the game, two days ago against Rayo Vallecano).

(Mesut laughs) Our goal has to be to look to ourselves, to call up our potential and then we can measure up to anyone. (For reasons passing understanding, Mesut looks one of the journalists directly in the eye and gives a wide smile while shifting awkwardly in his seat.)

Mesut - perhaps the question is difficult - but what is the difference between Real Madrid and Werder Bremen. If you could name a couple of points. What's different about Madrid? What different? What isn't as good?

I'm not here to talk about Real Madrid. I'm here in Bremen with the National Team and for that reason I have to ask for understanding from you, but I'll only answer questions about the National Team.

Stanger (who from the sound of his faintly panicked breathing had no idea Mesut would insist on this point): Now then! We are going to make a big switch! Move the microphone to that lady over there...then we'll see how it goes.

Well actually my question was about Madrid - about your title ambitions. So we'll come back to your role with the National team. You've been singled out by the fans. How do you see your role with the National Team. Has something changed?

My goal is to call up my potential on the pitch and to help the team as far as I can and I'll do everything for that. I have a good relationship with all the players. I have no problems with anyone. The most important thing for me is to enjoy the trust of the manager.

(The journalist introduces himself) This is not a question about Madrid but a comparison. In Madrid in 22 (league) games you've made 14 assists and shot 1 goal. Do you find it easier to score for the National team?

(Mesut laughs again) At the moment it's working out somewhat better with the National Team when it comes to shooting goals. My goal, as I've said before, is to call up my potential and to help the team as far as possible. It's not important who makes the goals or who assists. I want to win nearly every game - or every game, rather and to play successfully and that is my goal on the pitch.

Hansi Flick said that your old colleague Tim Wiese will play in the goal-mouth for 90 minutes. How would you describe him, qualify him and what can Tim do that Casillas can't do?

(Mesut laughs. Loudly. Somewhat undiplomatically!) I think Casillas has shown over many years that he's a world-class player. I train with him day in and day out. He's won a lot of trophies too. Wiese I know from my time in Bremen and from the National team and he's a very good keeper and I'm happy for him of course that he'll be starting.

Mesut. What do you have to say to the new rules from the manager that the players aren't to be on Twittering or on Facebook? Do you have something to say about it?

What should I say about it? It's not important to me. I just want to play successfully and well the fans are important but we have to focus on the football and I don't have time in any case for things like that.

So - back there - in the very back of the room...

(The journalist introduces himself) There are 100 days until the tournament. You have the championship with Real Madrid (Madrid are 10 points up on Barcelona) and the Champions League is still on for you. Is this game important to you in spite of all that? With the countdown on are you starting to get nervous? It's just a few days and then you could be trying to get the title!

I'm happy of course about the task we have there. But it's still a long time. We still have a couple of tasks ahead of us and we want to compete for them positively (whether he means with Madrid or Germany - or both - is unclear).

A journalist - who speaks English! (Stanger can be heard not only translating but quickly updating Mesut - who he knows is utterly clueless on the subject - on any recent France-Germany games in tournaments)

Oh no not at all. I know a couple of players there with whom I get along very well and we're very happy about the task and like I said before (ie., Mesut knows he repetitive. He's doing it on purpose!) France is a very strong team with very good individual players like Franck Ribery or Karim Benzema and we're just happy! Our goal is to win against France and I'm sure we're going to do it (cue crooked but oddly confident smile).

Are there any more questions? Still one more.

(Same journalist - in English. As Stanger is translating, Mesut's eye-lashes are set off at a quite perfect angle. Hand me a comb!)

In every way! You can see it on the German team too. There are lots of players with different backgrounds or immigrant backgrounds (Mesut mangles the sentence). We all get along very well, you can see it on the pitch, we help each other, we are always there for each other, and I'm proud of that.

(Stanger reminds everyone of the day's programme the next day).

Good bye!

Such a perfect photograph of Mesut's famous crinkly ears!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*By Spanish culture one suspects Mesut is referring to a general lack of punctuality. In an interview with Kicker last year he noted, when asked about the difference between Spain and Germany: "People here eat at 10 o'clock at night. Also, I was told my furniture would arrive in two weeks. It took two months." Last month in his GQ interview Sami Khedira noted that people who are an hour late are "early". Germans who have spent any time at all in Spain will sympathize, no doubt!

Some Observations

Mesut gave a press-conference about a year ago in which he did talk about Madrid - at quite some length! The performance he gave came in for some rather gentle teasing in the press the next day by the journalists who were present. "Like a child at the black-board afraid of making a mistake" and "so shy you want to take him into your arms" are two descriptions - by male journalists who were present.

Mesut with Zwanziger yesterday afternoon.

That Dr. Theo Zwanziger - the federation president - considered himself particularly close to Mesut, enough to mention it particularly, will be news to everyone. At the farewell to the team, at which coffee and cake were served, Mesut was photographed with Zwanziger looking quite genuinely sad.