Real Madrid News
Mesut Ozil reveals why he chose Real Madrid over Barcelona in 2010
Mesut Ozil in his prime was one of the best footballers in the world. For three seasons between 2010 and 2013, he treated Real Madrid fans to some magical moments on the field as the side’s creator-in-chief.
In his three years at the Spanish capital, Ozil made 159 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 27 goals in the process. Further, he won a La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super cup with the side.
The German international spoke to MARCA in depth after announcing his retirement earlier this week. During that conversation, he made a shocking revelation about his move to Real Madrid and how it transpired.
“I was between Madrid and Barça. The difference was Mou. He gave me a VIP visit, he took me to see all the facilities. With Barça it was disappointing, Pep didn’t even come to meet me. I really liked Barça’s style, I wanted to play for them, but Mou changed everything,” Ozil said.
The Portuguese manager’s drive to bring home the midfielder paid great dividends in the seasons to come for the Merengues. Ozil went on to be known as an ‘assist machine’ for his defence-splitting passes and left a special mark at Santiago Bernabeu.
The midfielder recorded a whopping 122 assists between 2008 and 2018, a record only bettered by Lionel Messi. Notably, Ozil recorded 47 assists in his three years in Spain and produced at least 12 assists for five successive seasons between 2008 and 2013.
The 34-year-old last played for Basaksehir FK in the Super Lig but made only four appearances all season with an average of 20 minutes per game. He made his final appearance against Kayserispor on the 2nd of February and announced his retirement two days ago.
Speaking to the media, Brazil Football Confederations (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues has claimed that the Selecao have not given up on their pursuit of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, despite the Italian stating that he will not leave the club.
Brazil have been without a manager since the World Cup in Qatar last year, following which Tite stepped down. The CBF have made Ancelotti their top target and have been pursuing his signing for months but to no avail.
The 63-year-old Italian tactician has, on more than one occasion, made it clear that he will be at Real Madrid next season, with his contract expiring in 2024.
However, CBF president Rodrigues is adamant that Ancelotti’s statements are due to him being cautious as he is under contract at Real Madrid and that the Selecao are not prepared to give up on their quest to appoint him as of yet.
“We made a plan, that ‘Plan A’ is the one you know, Ancelotti, and as they say in the ‘ring’ (boxing), I haven’t thrown in the towel yet,” Rodrigues said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“Because of contracts, people are cautious,” he added.
Ancelotti, for his part, has repeatedly stated that he does not intend to leave Real Madrid unless he is forced out of the club.
Despite missing out on the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles last season, the club continue to back the veteran Italian and are planning for next season with him in charge.
So, despite Rodrigues’ confidence and perseverance, it is extremely unlikely that Ancelotti will be leaving Real Madrid for Brazil this summer.
