Since the EURO 2012 final round draw, which saw Germany end up in Group B with Portugal, Denmark, and The Netherlands, most fans' comments have alternated between a half-anguished, half-expectant 'how can this be true?' and the time-proven 'group of death'. Asked what this much-maligned draw holds for Germany, Mesut Özil takes a different view – "tough luck on the others". And he's noted that "the others" are beginning to feel that way, too.
On the day the 16 teams were plucked from four goldfish bowls in Kiev, Real Madrid were on the road to an away game somewhere, and Özil couldn't help but see a trace of fear in the eyes of Christiano Ronaldo and Pepe. "Obviously, they know how strong Germany are," 23-year-old Özil said in a recent interview with kicker Sportmagazin. "Of course they say they're going to beat us – they would do that – but I've told them no way, if anyone wins the group and the tournament, it'll be us, and not just by luck or the skin of our teeth." Özil is aiming high, announcing (slightly tongue-in-cheek) an unbeaten run through to the final.
"I have become a more intelligent player"
As to his personal development, Mesut Özil sees plenty of room for improvement. While in his first season at Real Madrid he quickly managed to win fans' hearts and minds, autumn 2011 proved a difficult phase, with the player finding himself on the substitutes' bench rather than working his midfield magic. He used the Christmas and New Year holidays to get away from it all, re-charge his batteries and focus on the tasks ahead. Now he's back in action, a pivotal player for the 'royal club', confirming "those weren't easy days, and yet I'm grateful because they helped me to mature. I have become a more intelligent player."
The future? Özil likes to think big, dreaming of winning the European Championship for Germany in the summer, and many more trophies for Real Madrid, both short and long-term. "We're at the top of the table and that's where we belong," he says, pointing at Real's seven-point lead ahead of current runners-up FC Barcelona in the Primera División.
"This is where I'd like to end my career"
Once you've made it to Spain's number one club, you don't really want to leave. "Here's where I'd like to end my playing days," Özil confessed, which sounds an unusual thing to say for a player whose career, to all intents and purposes, has only just begun. Unusual maybe, but not unconsidered. "I really mean it," he insists, "I know what I'm capable of doing, and I'm convinced that I will hold my own here at Real in the future."
DFB-User:
"Germany win all cup." (Saeed Safari)
created by dfb
[bild1]
Since the EURO 2012 final round draw, which saw Germany end up in Group B with Portugal, Denmark, and The Netherlands, most fans' comments have alternated between a half-anguished, half-expectant 'how can this be true?' and the time-proven 'group of death'. Asked what this much-maligned draw holds for Germany, Mesut Özil takes a different view – "tough luck on the others". And he's noted that "the others" are beginning to feel that way, too.
On the day the 16 teams were plucked from four goldfish bowls in Kiev, Real Madrid were on the road to an away game somewhere, and Özil couldn't help but see a trace of fear in the eyes of Christiano Ronaldo and Pepe. "Obviously, they know how strong Germany are," 23-year-old Özil said in a recent interview with kicker Sportmagazin. "Of course they say they're going to beat us – they would do that – but I've told them no way, if anyone wins the group and the tournament, it'll be us, and not just by luck or the skin of our teeth." Özil is aiming high, announcing (slightly tongue-in-cheek) an unbeaten run through to the final.
"I have become a more intelligent player"
As to his personal development, Mesut Özil sees plenty of room for improvement. While in his first season at Real Madrid he quickly managed to win fans' hearts and minds, autumn 2011 proved a difficult phase, with the player finding himself on the substitutes' bench rather than working his midfield magic. He used the Christmas and New Year holidays to get away from it all, re-charge his batteries and focus on the tasks ahead. Now he's back in action, a pivotal player for the 'royal club', confirming "those weren't easy days, and yet I'm grateful because they helped me to mature. I have become a more intelligent player."
[bild2]
The future? Özil likes to think big, dreaming of winning the European Championship for Germany in the summer, and many more trophies for Real Madrid, both short and long-term. "We're at the top of the table and that's where we belong," he says, pointing at Real's seven-point lead ahead of current runners-up FC Barcelona in the Primera División.
"This is where I'd like to end my career"
Once you've made it to Spain's number one club, you don't really want to leave. "Here's where I'd like to end my playing days," Özil confessed, which sounds an unusual thing to say for a player whose career, to all intents and purposes, has only just begun. Unusual maybe, but not unconsidered. "I really mean it," he insists, "I know what I'm capable of doing, and I'm convinced that I will hold my own here at Real in the future."
DFB-User:
"Germany win all cup." (Saeed Safari)
