![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
jenny-jenkins.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
crinkly_earsÖzil: "Incredible, how quickly time passes..."
Interview link to the original German
Playmaker at Real Madrid, playmaker for Germany, Mesut Özil stands at the centre of the Royals and the National team. In an interview with the DFB website’s Steffen Lüdeke, Özil talks about his development, about the development of the national team’s game, and about the World Cup Qualifier against Kazakhstan on Friday (19:00 pm, live on ZDF) in Astana and on Tuesday (20.45, live on ARD) in Nürnberg.
DFB.de: Mr Özil, on the weekend you were switched on at the start of half-time for Real Madrd in the game against Mallorca. You brought a reversal of fortune. Madrid turned around a 1:2 deficit into a 5:2 win.
Mesut Özil: I didn’t decide the game on my own. We raised our game as a team and with a bit of luck made our goals. Even though Barcelona is a good way ahead of us, we still want to win every game. That must be a requirement of Real Madrid.
DFB.de: 3 years ago you made your debut for Real Madrid in the game against Mallorca. How often do you think of the beginning?
Özil: I remember being very nervous. That’s not typical for me, actually, but the first appearance for Real was something special. I sat next to Sami on the bench and after an hour I was substituted into the game. We played out a 0:0 draw, but for me it was a small victory to have been able to have played my first game in the Primera Liga for Real. Now I’m in my third season here and it’s crazy how quickly time passes. A lot has happened in a brief time.
DFB.de: Between Mallorca 2010 and Mallorca 2013 – how has the footballer Mesut Özil changed?
Özil: Physically I am more robust, and in my performances I am far more consistent. I still have enormous fun when I go on the pitch and can play some football. I’ve become, of course, more mature and more developed. I am fully aware there are aspects of my game that I need to improve.
DFB.de: For example?
Özil: The finishing needs work. My scoring average is not what it could be. I can shoot many more goals. But I am a playmaker and it is my job to set up goals. That is always my first priority, but that doesn't preclude me wanting to score more goals.
DFB.de: You are more robust and more consistent. And how has Mesut Özil changed in Spain?
Özil: You gain maturity with age, also when you take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. I’ve been allowed to learn about Spanish culture, about people in Madrid. The foreign language has also pushed me along. At the very beginning it was very hard in Madrid, I lived alone at the time. Now I have my family with me, and that makes it easier, though the beginning was a good experience too. Everyone on the team supported me, they were always there for me, especially, of course, Sami Khedira.
DFB.de: What have been your experiences of Spanish culture and the differences to that in Germany?
Özil: They are clichés, but it is how I have experienced it. Germans are very disciplined, and very meticulous in what they do. It’s true, what people say. The punctuality, the order. It’s also true what they say about Spaniards. They are a little like Turks. Everything is a little more relaxed. When we have a night out with the team and have a set time that we are supposed to meet, then some arrive 10 or even 15 minutes late. Unthinkable in Germany.
DFB.de: How difficult is it when you are with the National team to go back to being punctual?
Özil: It’s not difficult. I’ve lived like that my whole life long. I grew up in both cultures and adapted to both.
DFB.de: You played your first big tournament in South Africa. Since then not only you but the entire National Team has continued to develop. How would you describe this development?
Özil: The National Team has always received a lot of respect from abroad. That is what I have experienced. When people spoke about the team they talked a lot about discipline, fighting spirit, and willpower. That has ended. We are compared to Spain, we have a similar playfulness. We have lots of young players in the team, who can play at a very high level. It was like that in 2010, but it has got better as time has passed.
DFB.de: How do you think Spain has continued their advantage?
Özil: We have, unfortunately until now, fallen just short of the goal – the Spanish have not. This means they have the titles and we don’t. And the experience of winning titles. One must not underestimate this. In footballing terms little separates us however, we can play as strongly. We have to work on ourselves, we have to continue on our path. And then I’m quite sure we’ll take that last step.
DFB.de: Because of football and your performances you’ve been able to have many exciting experiences. You’ve got to meet some exciting people. Angela Merkel is one of them. Also Recep Erdogan, the Turkish president. How proud are you of the things you have achieved to this point?
Özil: I have experienced Mrs Merkel and Mr Erdogan as very sympathetic, relaxed and open. We had very nice conversations. And of course it makes me proud that I’m allowed to have got to know such individuals.
DFB.de: Do you get nervous before you meet the Chancellor?
Özil: Not at all. I always approach these meetings feeling relaxed. I don’t change, I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not and I try to be open. My view is that there’s no point trying to be someone you’re not. I’ve never had difficulties talking to anyone, and with Mrs Merkel and Mr Erdogan I haven’t either.
DFB.de: In the Champions League you’ll play against Galatasaray with Real Madrid in Istanbul. Your connection to Turkey is well known. Did you have a Turkish team you were a fan of in your youth?
Özil: I wouldn’t call myself a fan.* But I followed all the big derbys of course, along with my friends. That was always a lot of fun. And of course it makes me happy to be playing in Istanbul. I have some friends there and a part of my family lives in Istanbul. Games in Turkey are very special for me, of course. Our goal is, of course, to get to the next round even though this may disappoint a lot of people in Turkey.
DFB.de: Do you have any predictions? Dortmund plays against Malaga, a draw that some were thankful for.
Özil: Careful, you can’t underestimate Malaga especially as they are sixth in the Primera Liga with room to go higher. Malaga is a very strong team. We lost in Malaga 2:3 so Dortmund is forewarned.
DFB.de: With the National Team you’ll play twice against Kazakhstan, a relatively weaker opponent. How big is the danger that you might underestimate Kazakhstan?
Özil: We won’t do that. We know the phenomenon that smaller teams do well against bigger ones and give 200%. But it is also obvious that Kazakhstan do as they like. When we play our football, then we’ll leave both games as the victors.
DFB.de: How much respect do you have of the game in Astana. How big a factor is it that the game will be played on artificial grass?
Özil: It’s not a factor though we are unfamiliar with playing on such a surface. But we have a technically strong team and we should have enough to show our qualities on artificial grass. Also this is not the first time for us. We played on a surface like that in the Euro qualifier in Astana against Kazakhstan. And we won 3:0.
DFB.de: The result sounds more resounding than the game was. All those goals came after half-time.
Özil: Yes, but it was only a matter of time. If I remember correctly, we went into halftime having made plenty of chances. To me it’s clear that we are responsible if we win the game. If we play as we are able, then we’ll score goals.
______________________________________________________________________________________
*This is a bald-faced lie. His team is Fenerbahce, which would not have been tactful under the circumstances, so he decided to forget this, temporarily.
And is it me, or did the interviewer fail in his cast-iron duty to wring as much Samisut out of this interview as possible?
.
.
Interview link to the original German
Playmaker at Real Madrid, playmaker for Germany, Mesut Özil stands at the centre of the Royals and the National team. In an interview with the DFB website’s Steffen Lüdeke, Özil talks about his development, about the development of the national team’s game, and about the World Cup Qualifier against Kazakhstan on Friday (19:00 pm, live on ZDF) in Astana and on Tuesday (20.45, live on ARD) in Nürnberg.
DFB.de: Mr Özil, on the weekend you were switched on at the start of half-time for Real Madrd in the game against Mallorca. You brought a reversal of fortune. Madrid turned around a 1:2 deficit into a 5:2 win.
Mesut Özil: I didn’t decide the game on my own. We raised our game as a team and with a bit of luck made our goals. Even though Barcelona is a good way ahead of us, we still want to win every game. That must be a requirement of Real Madrid.
DFB.de: 3 years ago you made your debut for Real Madrid in the game against Mallorca. How often do you think of the beginning?
Özil: I remember being very nervous. That’s not typical for me, actually, but the first appearance for Real was something special. I sat next to Sami on the bench and after an hour I was substituted into the game. We played out a 0:0 draw, but for me it was a small victory to have been able to have played my first game in the Primera Liga for Real. Now I’m in my third season here and it’s crazy how quickly time passes. A lot has happened in a brief time.
DFB.de: Between Mallorca 2010 and Mallorca 2013 – how has the footballer Mesut Özil changed?
Özil: Physically I am more robust, and in my performances I am far more consistent. I still have enormous fun when I go on the pitch and can play some football. I’ve become, of course, more mature and more developed. I am fully aware there are aspects of my game that I need to improve.
DFB.de: For example?
Özil: The finishing needs work. My scoring average is not what it could be. I can shoot many more goals. But I am a playmaker and it is my job to set up goals. That is always my first priority, but that doesn't preclude me wanting to score more goals.
DFB.de: You are more robust and more consistent. And how has Mesut Özil changed in Spain?
Özil: You gain maturity with age, also when you take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. I’ve been allowed to learn about Spanish culture, about people in Madrid. The foreign language has also pushed me along. At the very beginning it was very hard in Madrid, I lived alone at the time. Now I have my family with me, and that makes it easier, though the beginning was a good experience too. Everyone on the team supported me, they were always there for me, especially, of course, Sami Khedira.
DFB.de: What have been your experiences of Spanish culture and the differences to that in Germany?
Özil: They are clichés, but it is how I have experienced it. Germans are very disciplined, and very meticulous in what they do. It’s true, what people say. The punctuality, the order. It’s also true what they say about Spaniards. They are a little like Turks. Everything is a little more relaxed. When we have a night out with the team and have a set time that we are supposed to meet, then some arrive 10 or even 15 minutes late. Unthinkable in Germany.
DFB.de: How difficult is it when you are with the National team to go back to being punctual?
Özil: It’s not difficult. I’ve lived like that my whole life long. I grew up in both cultures and adapted to both.
DFB.de: You played your first big tournament in South Africa. Since then not only you but the entire National Team has continued to develop. How would you describe this development?
Özil: The National Team has always received a lot of respect from abroad. That is what I have experienced. When people spoke about the team they talked a lot about discipline, fighting spirit, and willpower. That has ended. We are compared to Spain, we have a similar playfulness. We have lots of young players in the team, who can play at a very high level. It was like that in 2010, but it has got better as time has passed.
DFB.de: How do you think Spain has continued their advantage?
Özil: We have, unfortunately until now, fallen just short of the goal – the Spanish have not. This means they have the titles and we don’t. And the experience of winning titles. One must not underestimate this. In footballing terms little separates us however, we can play as strongly. We have to work on ourselves, we have to continue on our path. And then I’m quite sure we’ll take that last step.
DFB.de: Because of football and your performances you’ve been able to have many exciting experiences. You’ve got to meet some exciting people. Angela Merkel is one of them. Also Recep Erdogan, the Turkish president. How proud are you of the things you have achieved to this point?
Özil: I have experienced Mrs Merkel and Mr Erdogan as very sympathetic, relaxed and open. We had very nice conversations. And of course it makes me proud that I’m allowed to have got to know such individuals.
DFB.de: Do you get nervous before you meet the Chancellor?
Özil: Not at all. I always approach these meetings feeling relaxed. I don’t change, I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not and I try to be open. My view is that there’s no point trying to be someone you’re not. I’ve never had difficulties talking to anyone, and with Mrs Merkel and Mr Erdogan I haven’t either.
DFB.de: In the Champions League you’ll play against Galatasaray with Real Madrid in Istanbul. Your connection to Turkey is well known. Did you have a Turkish team you were a fan of in your youth?
Özil: I wouldn’t call myself a fan.* But I followed all the big derbys of course, along with my friends. That was always a lot of fun. And of course it makes me happy to be playing in Istanbul. I have some friends there and a part of my family lives in Istanbul. Games in Turkey are very special for me, of course. Our goal is, of course, to get to the next round even though this may disappoint a lot of people in Turkey.
DFB.de: Do you have any predictions? Dortmund plays against Malaga, a draw that some were thankful for.
Özil: Careful, you can’t underestimate Malaga especially as they are sixth in the Primera Liga with room to go higher. Malaga is a very strong team. We lost in Malaga 2:3 so Dortmund is forewarned.
DFB.de: With the National Team you’ll play twice against Kazakhstan, a relatively weaker opponent. How big is the danger that you might underestimate Kazakhstan?
Özil: We won’t do that. We know the phenomenon that smaller teams do well against bigger ones and give 200%. But it is also obvious that Kazakhstan do as they like. When we play our football, then we’ll leave both games as the victors.
DFB.de: How much respect do you have of the game in Astana. How big a factor is it that the game will be played on artificial grass?
Özil: It’s not a factor though we are unfamiliar with playing on such a surface. But we have a technically strong team and we should have enough to show our qualities on artificial grass. Also this is not the first time for us. We played on a surface like that in the Euro qualifier in Astana against Kazakhstan. And we won 3:0.
DFB.de: The result sounds more resounding than the game was. All those goals came after half-time.
Özil: Yes, but it was only a matter of time. If I remember correctly, we went into halftime having made plenty of chances. To me it’s clear that we are responsible if we win the game. If we play as we are able, then we’ll score goals.
______________________________________________________________________________________
*This is a bald-faced lie. His team is Fenerbahce, which would not have been tactful under the circumstances, so he decided to forget this, temporarily.
And is it me, or did the interviewer fail in his cast-iron duty to wring as much Samisut out of this interview as possible?
.
.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}