Mesut Ozil lift the lid over his time at Real Madrid
Mesut Ozil says it was honor to play at Real Madrid, and reveals Zidane is his football idol, in his exclusive interview with managingmadrid.com.
“I didn’t expect an offer from Real Madrid before the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. My first conversations with Jose Mourinho were absolutely positive – such a great coach showed me a perspective at one of the greatest clubs worldwide.
“I don’t think that there are many players that could reject an offer from Real Madrid at the age of 21. From day one I only tried to give my best in every single training with all these world class football players. It was an honour for me to play with them at an early age. I hoped to get as much playing experience as possible.
“Zinedine Zidane! A fantastic player during my youth time – I’ve always tried to copy his tricks. That worked for some a little more – for some a little less.
“In England we have a lot of London derbys. But you can’t really compare one of them with El Clásico. Especially during my time in Spain. El Clásico was often a match that decided the title. Of course Tottenham vs. Arsenal is a great derby, too.
“My best memory I had with Real Madrid was winning the league title in 2012. But I was happy about winning Copa del Rey in 2011, too.”
“I think nowadays that’s the way football is like. One player comes, the other goes. I don’t spend a lot of my time thinking what could have been or should have been. I’m happy that I’m here in London now.”
The biggest difference between being a playmaker at Arsenal and being a playmaker at Real Madrid is the league itself. In the Premier League the opponents never give up – no matter what the score is. That makes it hard to play here in England. You are never on the safe side.