Mesut ?zil
File:Mesut ?zil, Germany national football team (04).jpg ?zil playing for German national team.
Personal information
Full name | Mesut ?zil
Date of birth | (1988-10-15) 15 October 1988 (age 25)
Place of birth | Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1][2]
Playing position | Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club | Real Madrid
Number | 10
Youth career
1995?1998 | Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen
1998?1999 | Teutonia Schalke-Nord
1999?2000 | Falke Gelsenkirchen
2000?2005 | Rot-Weiss Essen
2005?2007 | Schalke 04
Senior career*
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)†
2006?2008 | Schalke 04 | 30 | (0)
2008?2010 | Werder Bremen | 71 | (13)
2010? | Real Madrid | 84 | (11)
National team‡
2006?2007 | Germany U19 | 11 | (4)
2007?2009 | Germany U21 | 16 | (5)
2009? | Germany | 43 | (14)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:05, 24 November 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:08, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Mesut ?zil (German pronunciation: [?me?zut ???zil], Turkish pronunciation: [me??sut ???zil]) (born 15 October 1988) is a German footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Germany national football team. ?zil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award, which is awarded to the tournament's best player. Following his breakout performance at the World Cup, he was transferred from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid in August 2010.

?zil is acclaimed for his finesse and improvisation as an attacking midfielder. His style and knack for providing assists for his team-mates has been compared to that of Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane. In 2011, he ranked first in assists in major European and domestic competitions with 25. In 2012, he ranked first in assists in La Liga with 17.[3][4] He was also one of the top assist providers in the 2010 World Cup, with 3.

## Club career[edit]

### Gelsenkirchen and Rot-Weiss Essen[edit]

?zil began his youth career playing for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen and then played five years for Rot-Weiss Essen.

### Schalke 04[edit]

In 2005, he moved to the youth department of FC Schalke 04. He was a midfielder and wore 17 as his squad number, after starting as a playmaker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended Lincoln in Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.[5] On making the first team there, he was described as "the next big thing," but he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Werder Bremen in January 2008.[6]

### Werder Bremen[edit]

On 31 January 2008, he moved to Werder Bremen for a reported fee of ?, signing a contract with the German club until 30 June 2011.[7] Fresh off his fallout at Schalke 04, he stepped into the shoes of Brazilian playmaker Diego to help lead the north German club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1?0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin.[8] He also excelled in Europe where he led Werder Bremen to the final of the last ever UEFA Cup, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.[9] Although Bremen failed to get going in their 2008?09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing a disappointing 10th, ?zil managed to make a significant impact in most games and came away with a respectable three goals and 15 assists that highlighted his attacking credentials.[9] In his second season, Bremen finished a respectable third, with ?zil contributing nine goals and 17 assists in 31 league fixture appearances.

### Real Madrid[edit]

#### 2010?11 season[edit]

?zil playing for Real Madrid in 2010

Due to his performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he ensured his place among Europe's top young talents. He was sought by teams like Barcelona, Arsenal, and Manchester United and reports even claimed that a deal was struck for a transfer to Bar?a. Werder Bremen denied the report and on 17 August 2010, the team announced that they had reached an agreement with Real Madrid.[10] The transfer fee is believed to have been in the region of ?15 million.[11] Upon signing, ?zil said, "When the offer came in to join Real Madrid, there is no decision to make. Let's be honest ? you don't refuse this club. I was in no rush to leave Werder Bremen, but this is one club you say yes to. They are an institution, a club with a fantastic history, stadium and squad full of world-class players. The prospect of performing at the Bernabeu is so awesome you jump straight in."[12]

He made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against H?rcules, which Real Madrid won 3?1.[13]

?zil's jersey numbers were changed often before the season started. He was given the number 26 in the pre-season and 19 for his debut. But following the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart to Tottenham Hotspur, he was given the vacant 23.

?zil was brought in to back up teammate Kak?, but due to his surgery, ?zil obtained a starting role. He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for ?ngel di Mar?a in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0?0.[14]

File:Mesut ?zil and Daniele Bonera.jpg
?zil taking on Daniele Bonera of Milan during the 2010?11 UEFA Champions League.

?zil made his season debut in the Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed for a Gonzalo Higua?n goal.[15]

He walked off the pitch as a second half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernab?u. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo La Coru?a on 3 October 2010, in a 6?1 victory.[16] ?zil's first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010.[17] On 22 December, he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, scoring once in a 8?0 victory over Levante.[18]

He finished the season with 25 assists, the highest for any player in any major European competition that season. ?zil's performances for Real Madrid during his first season were praised by media, fans and players.[19][20]

#### 2011?12 season[edit]

?zil began wearing the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid in 2011?12, signalling manager Jos? Mourinho's intent to use the German international as his main playmaker.[21] On 14 August 2011, ?zil scored his first goal against Barcelona in El Cl?sico in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de Espa?a.[22] On 17 August 2011, ?zil was sent off in the last minute of the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa after an altercation with Bar?a forward David Villa.[23] ?zil expressed his desire to end his football days at the club in an interview with German magazine kicker, saying, "I'd like to end my career at Real Madrid. I know it will be difficult because I have many more years ahead of me and many younger and good players will also be out there, but I want to be part of that future. I know what I'm capable of and I'm convinced I'll stay at Real Madrid many years."[24]

?zil was on the short-list of this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award.[25]

He finished atop the La Liga assists chart,with 17 assists.[26] On 2 May 2012, he helped Real Madrid to clinch its 32nd La Liga title as he assisted Real Madrid's first goal and scored the second goal against Bilbao, which Real Madrid later won by 3?0. Eleven days later, ?zil scored two goals in the final game of the regular season against RCD Mallorca, once again consolidating his excellent performance with the club. The win made Real the first club in the Spanish top flight to ever reach 100 points in a season.[27] His fine form with Real Madrid and German national team saw him earn nomination for UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in which he finished 10th, being youngest in Top 10.[28]

#### 2012?13 season[edit]

With arrival of Luka Modri? before the start of the season, the media claimed that ?zil was unhappy at Real Madrid,[citation needed] but he later refused such talks and claimed that he's happy at club and is looking forward to compete for the place.[29] After the start of the season, he added the Spanish Super Cup title to his honours. Later in league play, he provided an important assist to Cristiano Ronaldo who equalized in a 2?2 draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou.[30] On 6 November, ?zil scored a crucial 89th-minute free-kick to rescue a draw for Real Madrid and secure a point against Borussia Dortmund.[31]

## International career[edit]

### Career start[edit]

In an interview with FourFourTwo Magazine, ?zil spoke about his choice to play for the German national team: "I am third generation in Germany: my father grew up here. Turkey will always be a special country for me but I did not doubt my decision to play for Germany ? ever. I started to play for Germany in the youth teams."[32]

In September 2006, ?zil was called up for the Germany under-17 team. ?zil has been a member of the German under-21 team since 2007. On 29 June 2009, ?zil was selected the man of the match in a 4?0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship final.[6]

He made his debut for the senior side during a friendly match against Norway on 11 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the senior team in his third appearance, another friendly, against South Africa on 5 September in Leverkusen at the BayArena.

File:Mesut ?zil.jpg
Mesut ?zil playing for Germany.

On an individual level, ?zil was rewarded for his outstanding Bundesliga play by being named the best player of the first leg of the 2009 season.[33]

### 2010 World Cup[edit]

?zil was selected for Germany's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, starting in all of the team's matches. ?zil provided an assist for Cacau's goal to the 4?0 final score against Australia in Germany's first group game. He scored a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the penalty area against Ghana in the final group game, ensuring Germany progressed to the second round as group winners.[34] On 27 June 2010, he played in Germany's win over England in the last 16 match, setting up the fourth goal with a cross to Thomas M?ller as Germany triumphed 4?1.[35] During the quarter-final match against Argentina, he assisted the second goal for Miroslav Klose with a cross to ensure the 4?0 final score for the Germans. FIFA announced that he was among the ten tournament players nominated for the Golden Ball.

### Euro 2012[edit]

?zil was one of the leading forces in Germany's qualification for UEFA Euro 2012, scoring five times during the campaign as Germany won 10 out of 10 games to top their group.[36] ?zil also confirmed his reputation as a decisive passer, as he provided seven assists, more than any European international during Euro 2012 qualification.[37][38] When asked about his country's chances at Euro 2012, ?zil simply replied, "We have the potential to beat anyone and we have what it takes to win the title."[39] On 29 February 2012, ?zil was recognised as Germany's best international of the year for 2011 prior to kick-off at a friendly against France in Bremen.[40][41] ?zil's Germany were drawn with the Netherlands, Denmark and Portugal into Group B at Euro 2012, widely touted as the "Group of death".[42] His performance at Euro 2012 earned him two Carlsberg Man of the Match Awards.[43]

## Style of play[edit]

Germany under-21 manager Horst Hrubesch once said, "We in Germany are prone to rave about foreign players. We praise Wayne Rooney to the heavens, likewise Ronaldo or Messi. But we have our own Messi. Our Messi is ?zil."[44] ?zil brings finesse and improvisation to the midfield and his magical left foot can open any doors. ?zil possesses great footwork and is known for his amazing passes in difficult situations, setting up his teammates for strikes on goal. He has superb ball control and has great awareness of the game on the pitch, which at its best can devastate any defence. He also boasts a powerful shot from distance, as evident during his match against Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup or in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium, where in the latter match, he scored a goal which has been described as a "work of art."[6][45] Germany coach Joachim L?w hails ?zil for his 'genius moments' and his performance without the ball.[46] Real Madrid Teammate Xabi Alonso describes ?zil as "the kind of player you don't find these days," adding, "He understands the game, sees things, combines and thrives between the lines, unlocking teams," while Jos? Mourinho says, "Ozil is unique. There is no copy of him ? not even a bad copy."[47] Jos? Mourinho also stated that, "He is the best number 10 in the world. Everyone loves him and sees a bit of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane in him. He will make history at Real Madrid."[48] Assistant coach of the Germany national football team Hans-Dieter Flick says, "We are proud to have him in our team. When he has the ball, you can feel the excitement and astonishment among the fans."[39] Former Holland international Ruud Gullit labelled German ?zil as a "technically perfect" player who has "total control of the ball" and has "great imagination".[49]

His nicknames have included "der Rabe" (The Raven, or in Spanish, "El Cuervo") ? playing on his smart and opportunistic style of play,[50] and at Werder Bremen ?der neue Diego? (the new Diego) in reference to Brazilian Diego, whose playmaker role he inherited,[51] "German Messi"[52] and "German Zidane".[53] At Real Madrid he's supposedly called "Nemo" ? in reference to the clownfish Nemo from the Pixar movie Finding Nemo.[47][54] His attacking midfield partnership in Germany internationals with young talent Mario G?tze has earned the 'magic duo' the nickname G?tzil, alluding to their similar playing positions, technique, abilities, and style of play.[55]

## Personal life[edit]

?zil is a third-generation Turkish-German,[56][33][57][58] who, in reference to his game, concludes, "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part."[59] Although of Turkish descent, his entire life has been committed to Germany.[33] His ancestors are from Devrek, Zonguldak in North-Western Turkey.[60]

He is a practicing Muslim. He recites the Quran before his matches. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, ?zil said, "I always do that before I go out (on the pitch). I pray and my teammates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period."[61][62]

In 2010, ?zil received the Bambi award for being a prime example of successful integration within German society.[63]

## Career statistics[edit]

### Club statistics[edit]

  As of 27 November 2012[64][65][66][67][68]

Club | Season | League | Cup1 | Europe | Total
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists
Schalke 04 | 2006?07 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1
2007?08 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4
Total | 30 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 5
Werder Bremen | 2007?08 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 1
2008?09 | 28 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 47 | 5 | 20
2009?10 | 31 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 44 | 11 | 21
2010?11 | ? | 1 | 0 | 1 | ? | 1 | 0 | 1
Total | 71 | 13 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 2 | 14 | 106 | 17 | 43
Real Madrid | 2010?11 | 36 | 6 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 53 | 10 | 25
2011?12 | 35 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 52 | 7 | 24
2012?13 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 2 | 7
Total | 84 | 11 | 36 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 4 | 12 | 125 | 19 | 56
Career totals | 185 | 24 | 66 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 56 | 6 | 26 | 268 | 37 | 104

  1Includes other competitive competitions, including the Supercopa de Espa?a.

### International goals[edit]

# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | 5 September 2009 | BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany | South Africa | 2?0 | 2?0 | Friendly
2 | 23 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa | Ghana | 0?1 | 0?1 | 2010 World Cup
3 | 8 October 2010 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany | Turkey | 2?0 | 3?0 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
4 | 7 June 2011 | Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan | 0?1 | 1?3 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
5 | 2 September 2011 | Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Austria | 2?0 | 6?2 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
6 | 2 September 2011 | Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Austria | 4?1 | 6?2 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
7 | 11 October 2011 | Esprit Arena, D?sseldorf, Germany | Belgium | 1?0 | 3?1 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
8 | 15 November 2011 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany | Netherlands | 3?0 | 3?0 | Friendly
9 | 28 June 2012 | National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland | Italy | 1?2 (pen.) | 1?2 | UEFA Euro 2012
10. | 7 September 2012 | AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany | Faroe Islands | 2?0 | 3?0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
11. | 7 September 2012 | AWD-Arena, Hanover, Germany | Faroe Islands | 3?0 | 3?0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
12. | 11 September 2012 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | Austria | 2?0 | 2?1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
13. | 12 October 2012 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | Republic of Ireland | 3?0 (pen.) | 6?1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
14. | 16 October 2012 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany | Sweden | 4?0 | 4?4 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
Correct as of 16 October 2012

## Honours[edit]

### Club[edit]

Werder Bremen

- DFB-Pokal: 2008?09

Real Madrid

- La Liga: 2011?12
- Copa del Rey: 2010?11
- Supercopa de Espa?a: 2012

### Country[edit]

Germany under-21

- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

### Individual[edit]

- 2010 FIFA World Cup Most assists (3) (shared with Thomas M?ller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Kak?, and Dirk Kuyt)
- 2009 UEFA European U-21 Championship Final ? Man of the match.
- 2012 UEFA European Football Championship ? Carlsberg Man of the match Award - VS Portugal, VS Greece.
- 2012 UEFA European Football Championship ? Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Real Madrid C.F. ? Official Web Site ? Mesut ?zil". Realmadrid.com. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
2. ^ "DFB ? Deutscher Fu?ball-Bund e.V. ? Team ? Mesut ?zil Profile". Dfb.de. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
3. ^ "Spanish La Liga". EXPN Soccernat. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
4. ^ "The top 10 assists leaders in Europe for 2010?11". imscouting.com. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
5. ^ Jean-Julien Beer (27 July 2006). "Ein 17-J?hriger soll Lincoln ersetzen" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
6. ^ a b c "Mesut ?zil Bio". espnsoccernet.com. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
7. ^ "23 Mesut ?zil" (in German). transfermarkt.de. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
8. ^ "Mesut Oezil: A gift for German Football". 4to40.com. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
9. ^ a b Shapland, Dave (28 November 2009). "Bundesliga player profile ? Mesut Ozil, Werder Bremen". adifferentleague.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
10. ^ "Mesut ?zil to Play for Real Madrid". realmadrid.com. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
11. ^ "Real Madrid confirm signing of Germany star Mesut Ozil". BBC sport. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
12. ^ "Mesut Ozil Interview: Real Madrid's new star". soccernet.com. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
13. ^ Madden, Paul (22 August 2010). "Hercules 1?3 Real Madrid: Benzema Brace Seals Friendly Triumph". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
14. ^ "Report: The Whites make their debut in the 2010/11 edition of La Liga". Real Madrid. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
15. ^ "Report: The Whites earn a victory in their Champions League debut". Real Madrid. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
16. ^ Mondal, Subhankar (3 October 2010). "Real Madrid 6?1 Deportivo La Coruna: Ronaldo Brace Sees Los Blancos Go Above Barcelona". goal.com. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
17. ^ Lutz, Tom (19 October 2010). "Real Madrid v Milan ? as it happened". TheGuardian. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
18. ^ "Real Madrid vs Levante Report". Goal.com. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
19. ^ "Praise for Mesut Ozil". Real Madrid. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
20. ^ "Ozil's magic amazes the entire planet". RealMadrid. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
21. ^ "Mesut Ozil To Wear No.10 Shirt For Real Madrid In 2011?12". Goal.com. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
22. ^ "Real Madrid 2?2 Barcelona: All-square in thrilling Supercopa contest". Goal.com. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
23. ^ "Barcelona 3?2 Real Madrid (Agg. 5?4): Lionel Messi brace wins Supercopa amid violent scenes at Camp Nou". Goal.com. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
24. ^ "Ozil: "I'd like to end my career at Real Madrid"". Real Madrid. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
25. ^ "Men?s shortlists for FIFA Ballon d?Or Gala 2011 revealed". Fifa.com. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
26. ^ "La Liga Scorerpoints". transfermarkt.co.uk. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
27. ^ "Ton-up Real set new landmark". ESPN Soccernet. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
28. ^ "Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo up for Best Player Award". UEFA. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
29. ^ "Mesut Ozil reiterates happiness". ESPN. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
30. ^ "Ronaldo, Messi share spoils in draw". espnfc.com. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
31. ^ "Mesut Ozil saves Real Madrid with late goal against Borussia Dortmund". The Guardian. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
32. ^ "Ozil ? QA ? Interviews". FourFourTwo. June 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
33. ^ a b c "Mesut ?zil". Real Madrid C.F. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
34. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (23 June 2010). "Ghana 0?1 Germany". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
35. ^ McNulty, Phil (27 June 2010). "Germany 4?1 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
36. ^ "Germany stroll past Austria to reach EURO 2012". UEFA.com. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
37. ^ "Die Top-Elf der EM-Qualifikation" (in German). Sportal.de. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
38. ^ "Statistics". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
39. ^ a b "Ozil to receive German POTY award". soccernet.com. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
40. ^ [showUid=30756tx_dfbnews_pi4[cat]=56 "Fan Club w?hlt Mesut ?zil zum "Nationalspieler des Jahres""] (in German). DFB. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 2012.
41. ^ "Ozil to receive German POTY award". espnsoccernet.com. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
42. ^ "Netherlands, Germany drawn in Euro "Group of Death"". foxnews.com. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
43. ^ "Carlsberg Man of the Match Award". UEFA.com. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
44. ^ "WORLD CUP 2010: England will end up in a Messi if they can't control Germany star Mesut Ozil". dailymail.co.uk. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
45. ^ "Hiddink verflucht, ?zil gefeiert" (in German). derstandard.at. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
46. ^ Duchateau, Francois (10 February 2011). "Trotz ?genialer Momente?: Entt?uschung bei Mesut ?zil und Lukas Podolski" (in German). Goal.com. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
47. ^ a b Lowe, Sid (3 April 2011). "Real Madrid find 'Nemo' to their liking as Mesut Ozil settles in well". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
48. ^ "Mourinho: Ozil will make history at Real". ESPNSTAR.com. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
49. ^ "Gullit: "?zil is technically perfect"". http://www.marca.com. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
50. ^ "Today's Player of the Week: Mesut ?zil". sites.google.com/site/tmrten. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
51. ^ Keh, Andrew (28 January 2010). "Budding Germany Star Borrows Qualities From His Two Cultures". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
52. ^ "Ozil out to upstage Messi". FIFA.com. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
53. ^ "Ozil flattered by 'German Zidane' label". Espn.com. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
54. ^ "'Nemo' y su pandilla" (in Spanish). marca.com. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
55. ^ "Deutsches Zauber-Duo G?TZIL noch nicht g?ttlich". bild.de. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
56. ^ White, Duncan (12 June 2010). "Germany v Australia: Mesut Ozil at head of the vanguard for new generation". Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
57. ^ "Am Freitagabend schoss er das entscheidende Tor gegen die T?rkei, die Heimat seiner Eltern: Mesut ?zil, 21, Sohn eines t?rkischen Gastwirts und Mittelfeldstar unserer Fu?ballnationalmannschaft. Portr?t eines Intergrations-Erfolgs" (in German). bild.de. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
58. ^ "Mesut ?zil: "La honradez y la calidad llevan al ?xito"" (in Spanish). cadenaser.com. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
59. ^ Smith, Andrew (27 June 2010). "Mesut ?zil: National Treasure". sport.scotsman.com. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
60. ^ "Mesut ?zil'in hayali Bar?a" (in Turkish). Sabah. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
61. ^ Rosentritt, Michael (2 July 2010). "Mesut ?zil: Ich habe nie Angst" [Mesut ?zil: I am never afraid] (in German). Der Tagesspiegel. "TAGESSPIEGEL: Ihre Art sich direkt vor einem Spiel zu konzentrieren ist es, Verse aus dem Koran leise vor sich hin zu sprechen. MESUT ?ZIL: Das mache ich in der Kabine, bevor wir rausgehen. Ich bete dann und meine Mitspieler wissen schon, dass sie in dieser kurzen Zeit nicht mit mir reden k?nnen."
62. ^ "Germany's Mesut Ozil recites Holy Quran before World Cup matches". twocircles.net. 3 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
63. ^ "Soccer stars steal show at Germany's Bambi Awards". in.reuters.com. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
64. ^ "Mesut ?zil". UEFA.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
65. ^ "?zil, Mesut" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
66. ^ "Mesut ?zil". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
67. ^ "?zil" (in Spanish). ligabbva.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
68. ^ "Mesut ?zil ? Performance data" (in English). transfermarkt.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

## External links[edit]

| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mesut ?zil.

- Real Madrid official profile
- Profile at La Liga
- Mesut ?zil at kicker.de (German)
- Mesut ?zil at fussballdaten.de (German)
- The Polite Boy with the Faux-Hawk
- ESPN Profile
- BDFutbol profile
- Transfermarkt profile
- 2010 FIFA World Cup profile
- API at National-Football-Teams.com
- API – FIFA competition record

UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament
Goalkeepers | Gianluigi Buffon Iker Casillas Manuel Neuer
Defenders | Jordi Alba Fábio Coentrão Philipp Lahm Pepe Gerard Piqué Sergio Ramos
Midfielders | Xabi Alonso Sergio Busquets Daniele De Rossi Steven Gerrard Andrés Iniesta Sami Khedira Mesut Özil Andrea Pirlo Xavi
Forwards | Mario Balotelli Cesc Fàbregas Zlatan Ibrahimović Cristiano Ronaldo David Silva

Germany squads
Template:Germany squad 2007 UEFA Under-19 Championship Template:Germany Squad 2009 Euro U-21
Germany squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup Third Place
1 Neuer 2 Jansen 3 Friedrich 4 Aogo 5 Tasci 6 Khedira 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Özil 9 Kießling 10 Podolski 11 Klose 12 Wiese 13 Müller 14 Badstuber 15 Trochowski 16 Lahm (c) 17 Mertesacker 18 Kroos 19 Cacau 20 Boateng 21 Marin 22 Butt 23 Gómez Coach: Löw |
Germany squad – UEFA Euro 2012 semi-finalists
1 Neuer 2 Gündoğan 3 Schmelzer 4 Höwedes 5 Hummels 6 Khedira 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Özil 9 Schürrle 10 Podolski 11 Klose 12 Wiese 13 Müller 14 Badstuber 15 L. Bender 16 Lahm (c) 17 Mertesacker 18 Kroos 19 Götze 20 Boateng 21 Reus 22 Zieler 23 Gómez Coach: Löw |

Real Madrid C.F. – current squad
1 Casillas (c) 2 Varane 3 Pepe 4 Ramos 5 Coentrão 6 Khedira 7 Ronaldo 9 Benzema 11 Bale 12 Marcelo 13 Jesús 14 Alonso 15 Carvajal 16 Casemiro 17 Arbeloa 18 Nacho 19 Modrić 20 Jesé 21 Morata 22 Di María 23 Isco 24 Illarramendi 25 López Manager: Ancelotti

Persondata
Name | ?zil, Mesut
Alternative names |
Short description | Footballer
Date of birth | 15 October 1988
Place of birth | Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Date of death |
Place of death |