Account
Cristiano Ronaldo Expresses Anger over Mesut Ozil Arsenal Transfer
September 4, 2013
Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed outrage at Real Madrid’s sale of Mesut Ozil to Arsenal, Jack De Menezes and The Independent report.
An alarming number of Madrid players have spoken out against the £42 million departure of the Germany international, and Ronaldo has been left disillusioned by the transfer.
"The sale of Ozil is very bad news for me," he told his Portugal teammates, according to Spanish newspaper AS (as translated by The Independent). "He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal...I'm angry about Özil leaving."
He joins Alvaro Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos and Sami Khedira among the discontented parties.
The 28-year-old star’s anger is understandable, despite the fact Madrid have replaced Ozil with the world-record capture of Gareth Bale.
Bale contributed only four assists in league competition for Tottenham last season, compared to the 13 of Ozil. Extended to all competitions for club and country, Ozil laid on 35 goals over the last campaign, versus Bale’s tally of 11.
Madrid have plenty of playmakers on their side—not least of Luka Modric and Isco—but the Ozil-Ronaldo connection was a special one, as highlighted by the equaliser in last season’s 2-2 league draw at Barcelona.
Bale is more in the mould of Angel di Maria—a player who will likely operate with direct intent from the right flank, using his speed and ball-striking ability to look for goal. Ozil knitted plays together, stepping off the right wing to look for Ronaldo’s runs from the left.
Ronaldo is not alone is his shock over Ozil’s departure.
"He said goodbye to us on Sunday, but I thought he was joking," Arbeloa revealed to AS, per FIFA.com. "He's very different, there's no player like him in the world. He makes the difference on the pitch."
Meanwhile, De Menezes quotes Ramos as saying:
It's obvious that he is a special teammate and friend. I've always had a real "feeling" with him, and it's a shame. He's a great footballer, unique.
Ozil would be the very last player who I would sell from Real Madrid, if it was up to me. I don't understand this.
Adding to the anger of the players is the unease of Los Blancos fans, who could be heard chanting "Don't sell Ozil" during Bale’s presentation on Monday.
Germany boss Joachim Low also had his say on the Ozil deal, describing Madrid's decision as "incomprehensible."
"Many Real players like Sami Khedira or Cristiano Ronaldo are sad about the transfer," Low said at a press conference Wednesday, per the Belfast Telegraph. "For me, it's incomprehensible that Real would sell one of their top scorers."
Bale must now wait 10 uneasy days to make his Real Madrid debut, during which pressure will only grow on the Wales international to make an immediate impact at the Bernabeu.
A slow start will only increase the anger and feelings of nostalgia surrounding Mesut Ozil, whose true importance to Madrid will only be highlighted in his absence.