At last, Gunners’ fans have plenty to cheer about
MORE cups than [Gareth] Bale, more assists than [Cesc] Fabregas -— no wonder the world’s press is purring at Arsene Wenger’s coup
And to think just two weeks ago Arsenal were a laughing stock. Beaten 3-1 at home to Aston Villa on the opening day of the season, humiliated in their attempts to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool and Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid, Wenger’s days appeared to be numbered.
“Spend some money!” the fans chanted, but even in their wildest dreams the Gunners couldn’t have imagined the Nutty Professor would fork out £42.5-million for Mesut Ozil.
No one is laughing at Arsenal now, least of all Manchester United, who were once frontrunners in the race to sign the 24-year-old German midfielder.
Nor are the Real fans happy to see the back of Ozil: amid all the acclaim for Gareth Bale at the Bernabeu, there were angry chants of “Don’t sell Ozil”. But sell him Real did, for half the sum they paid for Bale.
It’s an odd bit of business by the Spanish giants, bringing in a player who’s won no silverware in his career, and offloading a player of the same age who’s scored the winning goal for Werder Bremen in the 2009 German cup final, helped them reach the Uefa Cup final the same year and, during his time in Madrid, been part of a side that has won a league title and a Spanish cup final.
Then there are Ozil’s 47 caps for Germany and his inclusion in Uefa’s Team of the Tournament at last year’s European Championships.
Of the seven people Ozil employs to look after his affairs, five are family members. His father, Mustafa, also acts as his agent. Ozil is a third generation German, with his grandfather moving from Turkey when Mustafa was just two. His family settled in a largely Turkish neighbourhood in the Bismarck district of Gelsenkirchen and, like Robin van Persie in Rotterdam, his technical process was shaped while playing in what they called Affenkfig: “the monkey cage”. It was a gravel pitch surrounded by fences that ensured play was always intense and continuous.
Ozil is the sort of street footballer that Wenger most adores. His hero was Zinedine Zidane. Lars Wallrodt, the chief football writer of the German newspaper Die Welt, has met Ozil’s old friends from the Bismarck cage. “They all said the same — that Mesut was the best player at the age of eight when they were all 12,” said Wallrodt. “They didn’t have any chance. He was a fantastic natural player but also always focused on how he was going to make it. There is no more elegant player in the world.”
Although Ozil has shied away
His faith is also a significant part of his life. A practising Muslim, he recites passages from the Koran before he goes out to play
from the celebrity circuit in Madrid, his relationship with singer Mandy Capristo has ensured he appears on the front as well as back pages of the German press. Ozil’s faith is also a significant part of his life. A practising Muslim, he recites passages from the Koran before he goes out to play. When his needs as a professional athlete allow, he also does continue to follow Ramadan.
The global following for both Ozil and Arsenal was quickly evident on Monday. Within hours of his move being announced, Ozil was taken aback to learn that he had added one million Facebook followers. Similarly, Arsenal have noted that Ozil’s Twitter following of more than three million actually exceeds their own club feed.
Ozil’s popularity derives from his graceful playing style. Ruud Gullit has described Ozil as “technically perfect” while Jose Mourinho has likened his style to “art” and hailed him as the best No 10 in the world. Ozil is now entering his peak and has also been strengthened physically by gaining almost a stone in body weight during his three years at Madrid.
Ozil will certainly add stature to Arsenal. The message this week was that this was just the beginning and tangible evidence of a new era at Arsenal of permanently enhanced financial firepower.
Staff at the Emirates were excitedly calling it a “Bergkamp” moment. From regularly selling some of the world’s best players over the past three years, Arsenal have become a buying club again. — ©