Tributes rolled in this week for former Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil, after the German World Cup-winner announced he was retiring from the game. While he divided opinions in both his home country and in England, his time in Madrid is remembered with almost unanimous fondness.
While Ozil tended to be taken off in almost every game, he was the chief creative presence for Jose Mourinho’s side. His supply line to Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the most lethal combinations in the world, and in a recent interview with Marca, Ozil named him the best player of all time.
Sergio Ramos was the best defender he has ever shared a dressing room with though.
“Sergio Ramos is the best defender I’ve ever played with. And the one with the most character. At that time he was still very young, but he already had a very strong mentality. It was amazing.”
“It was clear that sooner or later he would lead Real Madrid to win a Champions League. He is a real boss.”
Ozil also revealed that the pair shared a close bond off the pitch too.
“At that time he was one of my best friends. We had a lot of fun together and spent a lot of time together outside of training. It was key for me to quickly adapt to Real Madrid, he helped me a lot. Even more than ten years later we are still in touch: we send each other a message from time to time and, of course, I always follow his career.”
In the past Ozil has also revealed that he Ramos is an excellent singer, something which perhaps hints at the amount of time they used to spend together.
Ramos has both his fans and detractors, but this is the second time this week he has received high praise. Wesley Sneijder has recounted how even as a rival, Ramos was someone worthy of respect.
