Crinkly Ears

Appearances - Stats & Statistics

Mesut has overtaken Bodo Illgner (1996-2001; 2 Championships, 2 Champions Leagues) as the German with the second-highest number of official appearances with Real Madrid at 119 against Zaragoza! Some of you will remember that it was because of his shoulder injury that Iker Casillas became Madrid's #1.

To get to #1 he has to overtake Uli Stielike (1977-1985; 3 championships, 1 UEFA cup) - crinkly_ears is rooting for you darling!



For Germany fans: Uli Stielike was a runner-up in '82 and won the 1980 Euros with Germany. Bodo Illgner won the World Cup in 1990 with the only clean-sheet in World Cup history. I am sure these are goals we all hope the boy with the upside-down-ears will manage with Germany!

Illgner is an affectionate observer of the Mesuty phenomenon and was even asked about him this past hour in Sport1's write-up of Mesut's press-conference (more on that below). Even before he became a presenter (next to Ray Hudson) on Bein sport, he was often asked to comment on Mesut at Madrid by the German press. His verdict: Mesut's on-the-pitch personality could use some work (he should be more demanding of his teammates, particularly at Madrid), but he's a stout admirer of the boy on the pitch and "not just because I'm German" as he told Phil Shoen during the commentary done for the last clasico. He also laughed, suitably loudly, when Ray Hudson said: "I don't think May'sooht knows how to foul..."

( More Mesuty Goodness + Press Conference... )

The Most Adorable Samisut You'll Ever See - Video & Gifs Of The Boys Fooling Around Outside Madrid!


Yesterday a beyond-adorable, stuffed-with-Samisut video surfaced. In addition to giving us a chance to listen to community favourite Sami Khedira swallow his syllables and watch him standing around, looking gorgeous, it has the most adorable instances of our favourite bromance that I have ever seen!




True to form there are gifs (which are below the cut)! ELEVEN stunning, beautiful, long gifs that are infinitely better than any others on offer. Who do we have to thank for this? As Ray Hudson would say after Mesut makes a final pass: Who is it? I'll give you one guess and your first 15 don't count!

(Email from andriy_7 this morning: Good Morning! I heard that you have some [inferior, it was implied] gifs...So I made 11 gifs (more, new, better) ;)

How very Andriyesque of him ♥ Please note that he has managed to get masses of Samisuty footage into the gifs that are missing from the original video! How does andriy_7 do this? It must be magic!

( Samisuty fooling around on an epically sweet scale... )

( Read more... )

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From the sublime...




To the ridiculous...



This match had it all!

( The not entirely Mesut(y) match spam... )
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But first he spent the early part of the game looking bug-eyed and adorable on the bench, his hands, as always tucked ever-so-carefully into his sleeves.


( Read more... )


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( Read more... )

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Benzema stole the ball in midfield, Mesut dribbled, paused for some 3-4 seconds to wait for Crispy to make his run, passed so perfectly that Crispy didn't even need a touch to steady the ball and it was 1-0 at 24 minutes.

Ronaldo had a hat-trick, di Maria must have been running 200km an hour, Xabi scored a breath-taking goal from distance, Kaka scored within moments of coming on, Marcelo was perfecly genius - it was dominating and brilliant from start to finish!



Mesut and Benzema terrorizing the Zaragoza defence.


Mesut also did something slightly uncharacteristic. He shot at goal twice! For someone who shot at goal, on average, only once a league game last season, and could go several games in a row without attempting it, this is a marvellous way to be starting.


Celebratory Gifs & Photographs

With 6 goals, there was much cuddling and happiness during the game! Happily, the photographers caught all of it!

Cris was properly grateful, and Mesut got lots of cuddles for providing an assist that bloody slick.




And a back-rub too! Quite a reward!










Then there was Marcelo's sommersaulting - with Mesut there to catch him as he finished -












But most importantly of all as far as we are concerned, Mesut discovered that Coentrao's shoulder is awfully comfy -




Add it to the list!


Press Reviews

Well, there was Guti for Cadena Ser - see above.

(Interesting fact: it was they who opened his Twitter account. It took Guti a couple of weeks to realize you had to follow people to send them a Tweet. He initially sent Tweets to people who weren't on Twitter! So lovable!)


Marca - also quoted above.

Ray Hudson was typically effusive -





El Mundo's review (in an Article actually entitled: "Ozil, The Multiplier"): Es Mesut Özil la pieza que ha logrado que el potencial ofensivo del Madrid tenga cierto orden.

"Özil brings a certain order to Madrid's offensive."

Some Spanish newspapers simply used Guti's "El Crack del Real Madrid es Özil" as their headline.





Even the normally bitchy German sporting press were full of praise. FocusOnline referred to his game as "Brillant...Fabelhaft" ("Brilliant...fabulous"). The German version of Fifa.com called him "Unubertrefflich ("Unsurpassable").




And finally, Goal.com (because praising Mesut proves they watched the game for once!) -

The German playmaker started where he left off last season where he enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in Spain. Full of running and great assist for Ronaldo’s opener. Madrid’s attacking quartet are really starting to form a telepathic understanding.

Next match - Getafe. Before that: International Break - so watch out for interviews, photographs and much bromancing this week!





Many thanks to andry_7 for the splendid photographic research. All beautiful gifs are by albion_lass. Spanish newspaper research from miaina47. Written and translated by me, jenny_jenkins.
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