madristar

Q: The image of Karim Benzema is associated a lot with those huge headphones that you wear. Did you buy them yourself, or did a rapper friend give them to you as a gift? A: I bought them in France. I like them a lot, the music comes out really well. Q: What do you listen to? A: I like all types of music. It’s an important pastime for me. I like rap, and a lot of other types of musical styles as well. Q: For example… A: Like I said, rap, and also reggae. I’m quite open to all types of music. Q: You like the freestyle rap of your rapper friend Rhoff, no? A: Yes. Q: What is freestyle rap? A: It consists of improvising and singing whatever is in your head, with rhythm. Q: Would you be able to compose a freestyle rap about a football-related person? I propose Domenech, Mourinho or Higuaín. Who would be your choice to compose the rap about? A: (Laughs). I would rap about Mourinho, without a doubt. Q: And what would you say about him? A: I would rap about what he does on the field, what he tells us and the expressions that he uses. Q: Do you feel more comfortable with him than you did with Pellegrini? A: They’re two distinct cases. I speak better Spanish now than when Pellegrini was here. They’re different seasons and different situations. Q: Do you feel more integrated now? A: Yes, I feel like I have more support this year. Q: Casillas said at the beginning of the pre-season that in two days he saw Benzema laugh more than in the entire last season. Tell me the truth, were Iker’s jokes not as good last year? A: (Laughs). I’m not going to laugh at any thing. But the truth is this year there are more things to laugh about. Q: With who, why and of what do you laugh about? A: I laugh a lot with Cristiano and with Kaká. But in general, with everyone. This great atmosphere carries over onto the field. I can’t say that this year there is a better feeling than last year, but I see a more animated group on the field now. Q: Özil said that if he weren’t a footballer, he’d be a DJ. What would you be if you weren’t playing football? A: Maybe a rapper (laughs). No, that’s a joke. I would be a MotoGP rider. I like Valentino Rossi a lot. Q: And of the Spaniards, do you like Jorge Lorenzo? A: I like Fernando Alonso, the F1 driver, a lot. Q: Are you still taking Spanish lessons? A: I’m still taking classes, but I learn more Spanish in the locker room, talking with my teammates. Q: Are you doing the homework that you are given? A: I’m reviewing verbs and all those things, but I feel better with my teammates. Q: Define your character: conformist or non-conformist? A: I like order. I’m probably more conformist. I don’t like messes and I prefer things to be well-organized. Q: What is your opinion on the treatment you’ve received from the Spanish press? A: You all are very tough. Q: Last year, there were some episodes that disgusted the fans: adaptation problems and two car accidents. Do you promise more stability this year? A: We’ll see. I would like it if these incidents were separated, and for the fans to understand that anyone could have a car accident. I’m a stable person. What happens is that when you’re not playing well, some people try to relate that to these types of things to explain it. But everything will be different in this new season. Q: So, you’ve already adapted well to Real Madrid? A: A year of adaptation passes quickly for any player. That’s what happened to me. Right now, I feel at home when I put on the shirt of Real Madrid. Last year, I felt alone, not myself. That’s the big difference with respect to last year.

Crackovia

AS’s cover story today is how the successor of Zinedine Zidane is none other than his eldest son Enzo (15 years old), who at present has just been promoted to Real Madrid’s Cadete A team. And of course, he’s not the only member of the Zidane family playing for Real Madrid. Younger brother Luca (12 years old) is a member of the Infantil B team, where he plays as a goalkeeper. And third son Theo (8 years old) started playing at the age of five with Hortaleza club Canillas, known for its “baby football,” and which has a collaboration agreement with Madrid. He could move to Madrid’s Benjamín team soon. As for fourth son Elyaz, he’s still a bit too young, as he’s only four years old.

José Mourinho Jr. (above), the 10-year-old son of José Mourinho, is currently playing as a goalkeeper with famous “baby football” team Canillas, on the Alevín B team. He played a big part in his team’s 9-0 win against San Roque yesterday, with three fantastic saves. Who else plays at Canillas? Theo, the third son of Zidane, who is also a goalkeeper like older brother Luca and TSO Jr., and Ronald, oldest child of [original] Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Enzo Zidane debuted with the Cadete A team of Real Madrid yesterday with wins against Rayo and Calasanz in the Torneo Nuestra Señora de la Consolación. Today they’ll play the semifinal game and also the final, if they win the former. Update: the Cadete A team lost in the semifinal against Getafe 0-1 but beat Atlético in the consolation game 3-2 to end the tournament in third place. Enzo scored one of the three goals in the consolation game. He wore the number “11″ and was listed as “Enzo Fernández.” Meanwhile, his brother Luca was named as the MVP of the Stadium Venecia Zaragoza tournament, where he played with the Infantil B team.

Published along with this interview was Marca’s little personal questionnaire (the last person to do it was Ángel di María) of our favorite German footballer of Turkish descent. So, let’s find out a bit more about Mesut Özil! A city: Madrid [ok, he's won me over. I officially love him.] A color: white A car: Audi A drink: ice tea An actor: Robert De Niro An actress: Angelina Jolie A movie: Karate Kid An artist: none A book: none A writer: none [ok, he's not into literature or art?] An agent: James Bond (laughs). Reza Fazeli, my representative. A meal: spaghetti A clothing brand: Nike An article of clothing: shoes A dream: health and a lot of success in my life A virtue: playing football A defect: I don’t head the ball well. A virtue in a woman: sincerity A virtue in a man: sincerity A destination: United States A woman’s name: none A man’s name: none A mode of transport: car A stadium: the Bernabéu A rival: Barcelona A politician: I prefer not to answer A sporting event: winning the Champions A historical event: the arrival of man on the moon A pastime: playing football with my family and my friends

According to reports from Spanish newspapers, Enzo Zidane, the oldest of Zizou’s four footballing sons, will be called up for Spanish national youth team duties in the next weeks. Ginés Meléndez, the coach of the U-17 team, told French TV show Téléfoot that “our intention is to call him up in October. We want to speak with his father so that we will be able to count on him next month.” This decision is sure not to sit well with France’s footballing authorities, who have so far believed it was too early to call Enzo up, and had said previously that they would leave it up to him to decide which country he wanted to play for. Enzo is 15, plays in the cantera of Madrid and has both Spanish and French nationalities. Téléfoot also aired a program about Enzo, in which one of his Madrid teammates, Yoan Mendez, said of him, “Enzo is very nice and very humble. I was afraid to speak to him the first time I saw him. I didn’t know what to do, but he’s a very good person. Sometimes we see his father when he comes to pick him up after training. I got a photo with him.” Meanwhile, Enzo’s coach José Fernández said, “in football terms, it’s clear that he inherited some things from his father. But it’s still too early to tell whether Enzo can become a professional player or not.” Update: Papa Zidane said on TV5 Monde that he doesn’t have a preference between France and Spain, and that Enzo reminds him of himself in some of the things he does. Cute!

Mesut to As Mesut Özil was recently interviewed by AS, and this is the result. The interviewer starts off by saying it takes a bit of an effort to get a smile out of Mesut, as well as to hear what he’s saying. But in case you think he’s shy, he says he’s not, that he’s just a reserved person. A bit like Zidane, in fact. Here are the fun (personal) parts of the interview. I really want to know more about the music in the locker room! (I guess there’s only one backdrop for interview pictures, no?) Q: You grew up admiring Zidane. What did you like most about him? A: The ease with which he handled the ball, his agility, how dangerous he was in front of the goal. He was a complete player, as cold as ice. I admired that a lot. Q: Which games that Zidane played in do you remember? A: Of course, the final in Glasgow with that goal against Leverkusen. It was a world-class goal. I dream of scoring a goal like that, although the important thing is to play in the final and win it. It won’t matter who scores the goals later on. Q: How do you communicate with your teammates? A: Sometimes in English, sometime a bit in Spanish. I understand a bit and there’s an assistant coach, José Morais, who translates things for me at times. Q: How many days a week do you study Spanish? A: Two or three, depending on if there’s Champions League games. Q: Do you think that Cristiano is an individualist? A: No way, he’s a team player. You could see that in the second goal against Espanyol, when he gave a great pass to Higuaín. We’re happy to be able to count on a world-class player like him on our team. He’s very important for us. Q: Who on the team has surprised you with his quality? A: (Thinks). There are a lot. I don’t want to leave anyone out. They’ve received me with open arms and I feel like we’re a family. Q: We want to get to know you as a person. What did your grandparents do when they came to Germany from Turkey? A: My grandfather worked in a metals mine. But I don’t like to talk about my family because I prefer to keep them in the background. Q: But your father was someone important for you in your career? A: Of course, he’s always been at my side, even now. I’m very grateful to my family and friends. Q: Is it true that he was always on the sidelines giving you instructions in Turkish, which caused confusion? A: No, no. When I was a kid and didn’t play well, he would point that out, even when other parents told me that I had played well. He was always sincere with me, and that helped me to learn a lot of things. Q: What is the best piece of advice he’s given you? A: To believe in myself. I’m a very religious person. I pray before games and that helps me. Q: What do your parents do? A: My father was self-employed and my mother a housewife. Q: Have they come with you to Madrid? A: No. Q: Did you feel different growing up in Germany because of your Turkish origins? A: Never. I’ve never felt hostility. I always had a lot of friends and I still have the same friends. Q: Did you think your childhood was difficult economically speaking? A: My childhood was great. I enjoyed it a lot. My family gave me everything I needed. Q: What did you do with your first big paycheck? A: It was in Schalke, I got my driver’s license and I bought a car, and I started helping out my family. Q: Do you consider yourself a shy person? A: No, but I am reserved. I’m a calm person, but when I’m around my friends I joke around and I could talk a lot. Q: What do you like about Madrid? A: I usually stay at home. I was surprised by how nice the people are and how many things there are to do. Q: What is your biggest defect? A: I don’t know. I enjoy my life and I’m grateful for what I have. I’m a happy person and I have everything, thanks to God. Q: Have you been able to play any of your rap songs in the locker room? A: Some players already heard them before. It was an idea from Nike, who sponsors me. Jan Delay is very well-known in Germany. Q: What songs do you like the best out of the ones played? A: I like hip hop, redmanblues [rhythm and blues?].

Albeloa twiiter

For those of you that don’t know, Iker Casillas has a younger (and equally hot) brother, Unai, who’s seven years younger. Unai Casillas signed this season with CD Móstoles, which plays in the third division. Iker watched him play earlier this month. Anyway, Defensa Central interviewed Unai, and at the request of reader Sara, here is the translation. After reading it, I have to say that Unai has a good head on his shoulders (and a good-looking one as well), and that both things definitely run in the Casillas family! Well done on both counts, José Luis and Mari Carmen! Q: Not many people know that Unai Casillas is playing with Móstoles this season. How did you get to this point? A: I played for several teams in the past. I began playing seriously in Majadahonda, and then I was also with Villaviciosa de Odón. It was good for me, because they’re located close to where I live, Boadilla. I then began thinking about taking things one step further, setting a series of new objectives, and from this came the idea to try out for CD Móstoles. Q: What’s a normal day in your life like? A: I get up early and go to university. This year, I have classes in the afternoon, whereas last year I had them in the morning. My plan is to find an internship to start working and specializing in what I like, which is company and market analyses. And I have to balance all of that with the practice sessions that I have in the afternoons. Q: Last year, you were in France. How was that? A: I learned how to coexist with others both inside and outside of the house. I had to make my own meals and go shopping for myself. You learn to pay attention to things that normally you don’t think about. This helped me to appreciate more what I didn’t have there: my parents weren’t there, and I missed them. It was a great experience because I also learned a lot about the culture, the language, how a French university functions and how people experience football in another country. There, football is much more related to the fans and there’s not so much inequality between big teams and those at a lesser level. Q: How would you define your personality and your outlook on life? A: I think my friends and those who really know me would do a better job describing me, but I will say that I’m talkative and that I like to joke around, once in a while, with my friends. Q: And as a football player? A: I’m a central midfielder. I like to help create plays as best as I can, and I also try to do utmost to defend, although it’s not the thing that I’m best at. I’ve always wanted to create my own style. Q: Is there any player that you would like to play like? A: I’ve always followed Xavi Hernández, from the time I was small, because he was a teammate of my brother in the youth categories of the national team and I’ve had the luck of seeing him play many times. He’s the best player I could try to emulate. Q: You’re 22 years old. Is there the possibility of playing in the first division? A: Right now, I have no plans to play in the first division. The only thing I’m thinking about is helping CD Móstoles and taking things step by step with my teammates. My goal is to play sports, and time will tell if I can aspire to something from there, but right now I have no intention of playing in the first division. : What is your goal on the sporting level? A: As I told you before, my intention is to take things step by step, and help out my team with my work. Q: Where did the Casillas family get this love for football? A: It’s a bit strange because my brother is a goalkeeper and I’m an outfield player. I should have wanted to become a goalkeeper, because my mother took me to all of Iker’s training sessions. If we inherited this love for football from anyone, it was from my father, but we’ve also watched many games, played a lot on the streets and in the neighborhood. In any case, and I say this sincerely, I’m one of those that really like to play football, but I don’t like to watch it so much. It may sound like a contradiction, but that’s how it is. I tell you, of the last six Real Madrid-Barcelona games in the Bernabéu, I’ve only been to one. Q: You physically resemble your brother. Has anyone ever confused the two of you? A: That’s something that’s practically never happened to me. There are people that say that we look alike, but I don’t think there’s that much resemblance. Iker is Iker and Unai is Unai. Q: Have you ever faced Iker in a game? A: To tell the truth, no. Maybe in my pueblo, when my brother was 16 or 17 years old and I was nine. I shot the ball twice, but not more than that. But nothing serious. It’s funny because I’m sure that thousands of players have taken shots against him, but I’m his brother and I never did. (Laughs). Q: Imagine if a game between CD Móstoles and Real Madrid came down to penalties. How would you take the penalty against your brother? A: I would think about shooting to his right because he’s left-legged, but to tell you the truth, I don’t see myself shooting a penalty against him. I wouldn’t dare (laughs). Q: Does Iker give you advice on how to cope with the world of football? A: Only in certain delicate moments when he tells me to stay calm, find support in things outside of football and to learn about things that I like. For example, I like to go to a bar and talk to English people. This is a hobby that I have. I also love going out in Madrid and getting to know people. He tells me to stay calm, because there are things that are much more important in life. Q: Make some predictions about who will win the Liga, the Champions, the Copa del Rey, and how your team, CD Móstoles, will do. A: I think Barcelona will win the Liga. In Champions, I believe that Madrid can get to the semifinals and that a French team will beat them (laughs). I hope Madrid wins the Copa del Rey because it’s the only title that my brother doesn’t have, although if he doesn’t win it, it won’t really matter because I could win it one day with CD Móstoles and be able to have one trophy that he doesn’t (laughs). With Móstoles, we hope to end up on top of the table, but our goal is the three points that we play for each Sunday.

He scored a brace yesterday

Rooney: No problems with fitness Wayne Rooney insists he has no problem with his fitness despite a subdued display in England's draw with Montenegro. Rooney last night looked a shadow of the player who helped put Bulgaria and Switzerland to the sword just a month earlier as England failed to score in a game at the new Wembley for the first time. The 24-year-old was playing his first match for more than a fortnight after missing Manchester United's Champions League win in Valencia and Barclays Premier League draw at Sunderland. Rooney's form has dipped since unsavoury allegations about his private life emerged in the wake of the Bulgaria win. But his omission from United's recent games was down to an ankle injury, which manager Sir Alex Ferguson did not want to aggravate, despite the striker continuing to train. Rooney said: "I've been training for the last two months where I haven't missed a training session, so I have no problems with my fitness." Rooney, who passed up two good chances to spare England's blushes last night, added: "I felt sharp, had a couple of chances; maybe with the first I could have done better but the keeper made a good save with the second one." Rooney echoed his team-mates in questioning the performance of German referee Manuel Grafe, accusing the official of giving England's players "no protection whatsoever". Ashley Young was the victim of several poor tackles while in full flight last night, although he sullied his own reputation when he was booked for diving in the area. A second penalty incident appeared to go against England, however, when the ball struck Milan Jovanovic's arm. "From where I was, I thought it was a definite handball," Rooney said. "I don't think the ref did us any favours. We, as players, felt there was no protection whatsoever. "But these are things you have to deal with." Despite the controversy, England really only had themselves to blame for their run of 11 straight Wembley wins coming to an end as Montenegro's game plan paid off. "They had a lot of men behind the ball and they were well organised," said Rooney, who was twice thwarted by goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic. "Maybe we should have done better - I thought the keeper played well." And despite the result, which left England three points behind their opponents and Group G leaders, Rooney was determined to look on the bright side. He said: "It's a bonus we never got beaten. They had a shot at the end that nearly went in. "We're still unbeaten in the group, so at least that's a positive. "It wasn't bad as a draw. We deserved to win. "I'm sure in the next game against Wales we can put in a good performance and hopefully get the three points." Team-mate Gareth Barry, who was also guilty of a below-par display, admitted a group England had looked set to run away with was now beginning to look competitive. "Yeah, it does make it a lot harder," he said. "If we'd have obviously got the three points, we would have been sitting very nicely in the league. "But seven points from the first three, it's not the end of the world. "It's still in our own hands, so we're still confident we can top the group." England face a wait of more than five months before being able to do that. "That's the frustrating thing," Barry added. "It's a long time now before another qualifying game. "We want to get back to business and try to push ourselves to the top of the league."