Sami Khedira at AS
An interview with Sami Khedira appears in today’s AS. As always, I’ve only translated the interesting parts, so if you want to read the technical stuff, go to the source! I liked this interview, because I learned a lot about Sami! He seems to be quite fun!
Q: Why did it take you time to adapt to the team in the beginning?
A: Part of it was the language. Now the communication with the coach is impeccable and I know exactly what he wants. I’m studying with a German company that has a new method of teaching castellano. I spend several hours a day with a Spaniard. We have breakfast together and we eat lunch after the training session. We do things together, and so you advance rapidly. [Note: where can I sign up to work for this company? I can both help out the foreign players with their Spanish and Iker + Sergio with their English!] Plus, there were differences between Spanish and German football.
Q: How did you find out that Madrid was interested in you?
A: My agent told me.
Q: A lot of people were surprised when you visited Mourinho at Valdebebas while still a Stuttgart player. How did you get in?
A: It’s a secret! Through the back door (laughs). My vacation hadn’t started yet and Mourinho had already contacted me via text. I was intrigued to know what he wanted of me.
Q: And how did the conversation go?
A: It was a short visit. He managed to convince me in only three minutes!
Q: Love at first sight?
A: More or less (laughs). He was very convincing.
Q: Is the locker room what you expected?
A: Everything is bigger and more extravagant than in Stuttgart. I was impressed. It’s more professional and pleasant. And there’s a great atmosphere. The fact that I had played against some of the stars of Spain helped me to be mentally prepared. Then, when I arrived, it seemed to be one big family.
Q: Who was your childhood idol?
A: There was only one, Zidane, who’s one of a kind.
Q: When did you start following him?
A: In the 1998 World Cup. I was 11. That was a great team. And that’s when I saw how great he was.
Q: And your first memories of Real Madrid?
A: From watching the 2002 Champions League final against Leverkusen, although the club was always present in my life, like it is in the lives of all children. There’s a lot of news about them in Germany.
Q: Do you follow politics?
A: Of course. It’s an important topic, no? It was an incredible moment when Ms. Merkel came into the locker room and held out her hand to Özil. It was something to remember. We all were surprised with the situation.
Q: Are you religious?
A: I’m Muslim.
Q: As are Özil, Diarrá, Benzema. Do you all have any rituals before the games?
A: Each one has his personal thing. I don’t take it very seriously. I comply with the norms and the rituals, but I don’t do anything special before games.
Q: Your mother is German and your father Tunisian. How did they meet?
A: My father visited a friend who was married to a German woman. That was their initial contact. And he stayed. He didn’t speak any German.
Q: What has he told you about that time?
A: That it was difficult. But he’s an example of surmounting hardships. He worked for a metallurgical company. He showed me that something impossible could become possible.
Q: Did your father play football?
A: Yes, he was a goalkeeper, but he never played professionally.
Q: What is the best advice he’s given you?
A: The values of life. Above all, to be sincere and to chase my dreams. He insisted on this. He had a direct influence on helping me become more motivated: that’s how I got onto the national team, and Madrid.
Q: You entered Stuttgart’s academy at the age of eight. Were you bigger than the other boys, like you are now?
A: Yes, I’ve always been one of the bigger kids. Everyone said that I had a problem with speed. It seemed that I did everything slowly because I was so big. Then, they did some tests and found out I was one of the faster ones. And so everyone apologized to me.
Q: Who would you give the Ballon d’Or to?
A: It’s very complicated. Xavi, Sneijder… there are a few names and they’re all great players, and all who played in the World Cup played very well. I would love it if a German player won it…
I love him, he sounds so sincere!
Love him.
I’m praying for his good health and good life as Real Madrid player.
A good player, soon to be great. InshaAllah (God willing)
Thanks Una, for all the lol moment (I’m not sure I can call you that though, lol. Thanks ‘a’)
Aw, I really like Khedira. I’m glad he’s starting to settle in and speak Spanish and communicate with his “love at first sight”! (That made me laugh, a lot.)
And ¡¡¡I need to know what this company is called!!! Because I will totally stop, drop, and roll to get a job with them! “Doing things together” with Sergio has so much potential – “no, no, you can’t buy that, no, we’re not going to D&G today, let’s organize your wardrobe and learn the names of clothes… as we throw them away!”
And this – “Then, they did some tests and found out I was one of the faster ones. And so everyone apologized to me.” – was really cute, although I felt bad for little Sami getting picked on!
haha Jennifer I like the imagination with the clothes. The only problem is that Sergio already speaks Spanish 😀
I read an interview with German paper kicker today which was done with both of our German players after being 100 days with RM. It says they feel very well, very welcomed. All is perfectly organized [they were asked for negatives but they couldnt find anything]. The club cares for them and the colleagues are very kind and helpful, specially Cristiano & Iker.
As the players who they have closer contact with, they mentioned Cristiano, Pepe, Di Maria, Higuain, Diarra and Marcelo. Asked for Cristiano, they both echoed that his image in public is different from the real person. Sami couldnt stop with the positive adjectives for him: uncomplicated, fun, open, polite, helpful and very down to earth and Mesut joined the ode not a bit arrogant, always friendly and helpful.
They still need a bit, but their vocabulary grows day by day. Mesut also has a private teacher and he thinks he needs about half a year to speak freely. [Oh and he added one funny comment, I know too well haha:] If the Spaniards only wouldnt speak so fast!!!
Haha I meant that I would teach Sergio English 😛 I would even “be patience with him” while the “help is going on”!
Jen, I think you and la Madridista owe it to yourselves to FIND OUT ASAP WHAT THIS GERMAN COMPANY IS, and flood them with hopeful, pleading and (with any luck) ultimately-successful application letters!! What would be the best way to find out who they are? Perhaps by calling RM’s corporate office and asking about their business partners? I might mention that I work with expatriates who are trying to learn to speak better Spanish and read about this approach in the article, and ask for a referral — that sounds innocuous, right? Or if that doesn’t pan out, perhaps an email or tweet to the journalist himself on the offchance that Khedira mentioned the company name?
No, I’m not stalkery at all, why do you ask? (But in all seriousness, I bet one of those tactics would work. The business would be thrilled to have clients referred to them…)
Ha you mean “big” Sami 😉
**Sigh**
I worked all morning on translating this damn interview, because I thought it was so worthy, and now I see that you posted it as well …
Maybe next time I better communicate with you 😉
And thanks for the translation, it looks far better then mine.
Great interview with Sami – thanks for translating! He just seems like such a nice guy – thoughtful, intelligent and determined. I’m really glad to see him getting some attention and that Mou singled him out for some praise the other day. Sami is awesome.
Thank you for translating this interview. I love Sami, he’s my favorite player!! Love at first site, he sounds so sweet.
i was wondering why most of these guys first remembered the ’98 World Cup, b/c that’s the one I remember well to, then I realized these guys are my age or around it
but yes, on finding that company! sign me up! lol.
Khedira sounds nice xD btw i love your blog