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Shkodran Mustafi acts as if being part of Germany’s national squad is the most natural thing in the world, despite the fact that his inclusion in the squad has been far from straightforward.
In DFB.de’s Interview of the Week, the defender spoke to reporter Steffen Lüdeke about his late call-up for the World Cup in Brazil and the rollercoaster of emotions he has experienced.
DFB.de: Mr Mustafi, did you immediately know where you were when you woke up this morning?
Shkodran Mustafi: Yes, that was no problem, but when the team arrived at Campo Bahia yesterday, it took me a while to realise exactly where I was. Everything went so fast; I needed a moment to collect my thoughts.
DFB.de: Let’s rewind briefly. You were part of the South Tyrol training camp and travelled from there to Düsseldorf. After the match against Cameroon, Joachim Löw called you into the coaches’ room. He had bad news…
Mustafi: Yes, I was told I wouldn’t be going to the World Cup. Naturally, to start with I was extremely disappointed. You’re so close, you start hoping, and then you fall at the final hurdle. But you have to try and put it all aside.
DFB.de: How did you do that?
Mustafi: I spent a couple of days at home and took the time to sit down and process everything that had happened to me. I didn’t want my season to be defined by this disappointment, not least because I’d achieved more than I set out to do. I wanted to become a regular starting player for Sampdoria, and I did that, and now I’m a German international who had been able to take part in the South Tyrol training camp. I can be more than happy with that. I’m only 22 years old and have a long career ahead of me. This perspective helped me to cope better with the coach’s decision.
DFB.de: Then came the match against Armenia and the injury to Marco Reus.
Mustafi: When I saw the situation, I felt so sorry for him. It’s difficult to imagine how he must have felt. I wish him all the best and hope he’s back on his feet again soon.
DFB.de: Have you spoken to him at all?
Mustafi: No, not yet, but I’ll get Mario (Götze – editor’s note) to give me his number and I’ll call him from here.
DFB.de: When did Joachim Löw get in touch with you again?
Mustafi: The coach called me on Saturday morning.
DFB.de: And presumably you knew why he was calling…
Mustafi: As I said, I wasn’t expecting to get a call, but when the telephone rang that morning I guessed why the coach might be calling. It was really tough to take in what he was saying; it was all blurry somehow, like in a dream. It was a great encouragement for me to realise that I was next in line for a call-up. That gave me a huge confidence boost.
DFB.de: You received the call on the morning of the squad’s flight to Brazil and were in Mainz with the team in time to travel with them. Was it difficult to get ready so quickly?
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Mustafi: Not at all. I was at my parents’ house in Bebra, which isn’t far from Frankfurt so it’s not too far from Mainz either. My parents helped me to pack my things; we didn’t need to take much with us because the DFB provided most of it. Then my dad drove me to the team hotel in Mainz, and just like that, I was back with the squad again.
DFB.de: Now you’re at Campo Bahia. What are your first impressions of the place?
Mustafi: Everything’s great here. The DFB have made sure that we have the best possible environment. I can’t find a single fault with it. The Brazilians gave us such a fantastic welcome. People here are just crazy about football and they made us realise how happy they are that we’re here. We feel very welcome here – everything’s good.
DFB.de: What are your personal ambitions for the tournament?
Mustafi: I haven’t yet had a chance to come to terms with it all and set any specific goals. I always have the same aim when playing football: to give 100 per cent and help the team as much as I can.
created by dfb
[bild1]
Shkodran Mustafi acts as if being part of Germany’s national squad is the most natural thing in the world, despite the fact that his inclusion in the squad has been far from straightforward.
In DFB.de’s Interview of the Week, the defender spoke to reporter Steffen Lüdeke about his late call-up for the World Cup in Brazil and the rollercoaster of emotions he has experienced.
DFB.de: Mr Mustafi, did you immediately know where you were when you woke up this morning?
Shkodran Mustafi: Yes, that was no problem, but when the team arrived at Campo Bahia yesterday, it took me a while to realise exactly where I was. Everything went so fast; I needed a moment to collect my thoughts.
DFB.de: Let’s rewind briefly. You were part of the South Tyrol training camp and travelled from there to Düsseldorf. After the match against Cameroon, Joachim Löw called you into the coaches’ room. He had bad news…
Mustafi: Yes, I was told I wouldn’t be going to the World Cup. Naturally, to start with I was extremely disappointed. You’re so close, you start hoping, and then you fall at the final hurdle. But you have to try and put it all aside.
DFB.de: How did you do that?
Mustafi: I spent a couple of days at home and took the time to sit down and process everything that had happened to me. I didn’t want my season to be defined by this disappointment, not least because I’d achieved more than I set out to do. I wanted to become a regular starting player for Sampdoria, and I did that, and now I’m a German international who had been able to take part in the South Tyrol training camp. I can be more than happy with that. I’m only 22 years old and have a long career ahead of me. This perspective helped me to cope better with the coach’s decision.
DFB.de: Then came the match against Armenia and the injury to Marco Reus.
Mustafi: When I saw the situation, I felt so sorry for him. It’s difficult to imagine how he must have felt. I wish him all the best and hope he’s back on his feet again soon.
DFB.de: Have you spoken to him at all?
Mustafi: No, not yet, but I’ll get Mario (Götze – editor’s note) to give me his number and I’ll call him from here.
DFB.de: When did Joachim Löw get in touch with you again?
Mustafi: The coach called me on Saturday morning.
DFB.de: And presumably you knew why he was calling…
Mustafi: As I said, I wasn’t expecting to get a call, but when the telephone rang that morning I guessed why the coach might be calling. It was really tough to take in what he was saying; it was all blurry somehow, like in a dream. It was a great encouragement for me to realise that I was next in line for a call-up. That gave me a huge confidence boost.
DFB.de: You received the call on the morning of the squad’s flight to Brazil and were in Mainz with the team in time to travel with them. Was it difficult to get ready so quickly?
[bild2]
Mustafi: Not at all. I was at my parents’ house in Bebra, which isn’t far from Frankfurt so it’s not too far from Mainz either. My parents helped me to pack my things; we didn’t need to take much with us because the DFB provided most of it. Then my dad drove me to the team hotel in Mainz, and just like that, I was back with the squad again.
DFB.de: Now you’re at Campo Bahia. What are your first impressions of the place?
Mustafi: Everything’s great here. The DFB have made sure that we have the best possible environment. I can’t find a single fault with it. The Brazilians gave us such a fantastic welcome. People here are just crazy about football and they made us realise how happy they are that we’re here. We feel very welcome here – everything’s good.
DFB.de: What are your personal ambitions for the tournament?
Mustafi: I haven’t yet had a chance to come to terms with it all and set any specific goals. I always have the same aim when playing football: to give 100 per cent and help the team as much as I can.
