Mesut Özil was a guest on El Larguero last night, right after the Premios Alma. As such, the presenter noted that he was dressed “súper elegante” and even went on to describe the outfit. Anyway, this is what Mesut talked about on the show – he spoke in German, and his answers were translated into Spanish, although he did try out one or two Spanish phrases.
On the gala: I didn’t understand what José Mercé was singing, but it was “muy bonito.” I had met Rafa Nadal before.
On music: I’ve heard flamenco before, and it’s special because it forms part of Spain. I like rap and Turkish music.
On what he did during the free day: I slept a lot, and then some friends from Germany, including my brother, came to see me. I studied Spanish for four to five hours, and then it was time for the gala.
On his family: my grandparents and parents are Turkish, but I was born in Germany, in Gelsenkirchen, where I grew up and went to school. People there have always treated me very well. I have one older brother and two younger sisters. My father is self-employed, and owns two stores. My mother is a housewife.
On his religion: I’m Muslim, and my parents are as well. I’ve never even tried ham, and I only have some wine when there’s something to celebrate. A bit of wine once in a while is good for your health.
On his football origins: I started playing when I was seven, because my older brother did and I went to all his games. I told my father that I wanted to play too, and be a part of a team. My entire family loves football, and it forms part of our life. I wasn’t a great student, but I wasn’t bad either, and I don’t know what I would have been if I weren’t a footballer.
On the visit of Angela Merkel to the German locker room: I left the game early since I received a knock to my ankle, and I took off my shirt because it was sweaty. I came out, and there she was. We were both surprised, but it was a fun moment.
On the Spain-Germany World Cup semifinal: I was very impressed by Spain. They played well, deserved to win, was strong and was better as a team and as individuals. I didn’t exchange shirts with anyone, because I was upset and went directly into the locker room.
On his summer: I spent my summer vacation in Mallorca with friends. I was very happy when I heard about the offer from Madrid, and I didn’t consider going to any other team.
On life in Real Madrid: we’re like a family, and I adapted very easily. They laugh a lot here, and I love it, this is what I love about Real Madrid. Everyone supports everyone else. It’s important for me to be able to speak Spanish, especially to my teammates. My friends here are Khedira, whom I’ve known for a long time. Pepe, Cristiano and the Argentines are always joking around, and we laugh a lot, including in Spanish, and the others laugh when I say something wrong, but I learn from it. In general, I laugh with everyone.
On life in Madrid: I take Spanish classes three times a week. The city is beautiful, you eat well here, and the people are very nice. I’ve seen a lot of things, although I like staying at home with my friends. When I have time, I take my girlfriend’s child to school, and his classmates ask me for autographs.
On his rap “career”: I taped an episode with a famous rap group in Germany, but I don’t have a good enough voice to sing.
On what his dream is: to stay healthy and spent lots of time with my family.
Favorites: City – Gelsenkirchen, Madrid. Food – menemen, a Turkish dish made with eggs and tomatoes. Drink – ice tea. Actor – Robert De Niro. Movie – The Hangover [jajajaja!!!] Singer: Michael Jackson, for both his songs and how he danced. Stadium – the Bernabéu.