Brazil will return to the scene of the most humiliating night in their nation’s footballing history this week, when they face Argentina in Belo Horizonte on Thursday.
It was in the city’s Mineirao Stadium that Germany sent them crashing out of their own World Cup two years ago, running riot in a 7-1 semi-final victory.
5-0 at half-time, the Germans cruised to victory over the hosts that night, reducing players and fans alike to tears by the time the full-time whistle arrived.
Reflecting on that night, Mesut Ozil has now revealed what he said to a tearful David Luiz, one of Brazil’s worst players on the night, in the moments following the full-time whistle.
“Everybody knows the semi-final against Brazil, 7-1,” Özil told Arsenal.com.
“Of course all the players, as well me on the pitch, was a little bit surprised, after 30 minutes [with the score at] 4-0, you can’t realise – ‘what happened here?’
“If you lose a big game like that in your country and you see the fans outside crying and the players crying, you feel with them.
“So what I did, I went to David Luiz and said ‘I really apologise, you have a nice country and nice people. We learned there and had a really good time.”
We’re sure that this more than made up for playing his part in the most embarrassing moment in his country’s footballing history. Good on you, Mesut.
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