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Former Germany striker Mario Gomez believes that his ex-national team colleague Mesut Ozil is looking to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo with his body transformation.
Since hanging up his boots in March 2023, Ozil has looked to bulk up, which has not gone unnoticed. The former Arsenal star often posts pictures and videos of himself working out on Instagram.
Gomez, who played 34 international matches with Ozil, managing two joint goal contributions, told the Phrasenmaher football podcast about the latter's transformation (via The Sun):
"First of all, it's admirable how he pulls it off. However, I am someone who believes in the happy medium because I have experienced mood swings in both directions and know that extremes often lead to nothing good."
"I don't know what his mission is behind this. It looks a bit crass and wouldn't be my thing- but that's not the point."
He added:
"When you come out of a career in which you have received a lot of encouragement and praise for years, you naturally look for something that fulfils you."
"Mesut now seems to have found this in the gym. He's also played with Ronaldo and maybe thinks: Now I have time to become a little Cristiano."
Of course, Ronaldo is widely appreciated for keeping himself in top shape even at the age of 39. Ozil spent time with Ronaldo at Real Madrid before joining Arsenal, where the duo played 149 matches together across competitions, bagging 39 joint goal contributions.
Cristiano Ronaldo leaves comment on Mesut Ozil's Instagram video that shows former Germany star working hard in the gym
Cristiano Ronaldo was quick to respond to a video posted by Mesut Ozil on his Instagram account, showing off his incredible transformation. While posting the clip, which sees the German perform a bunch of exercises, he wrote in the caption:
"Always stay ready, then you don't need to get ready."
Ronaldo, who won one La Liga title and another trophy with Ozil at Real Madrid, seemingly appreciated his ex-teammate's efforts. The Al-Nassr striker wrote in the comments section with a winking emoji:
"Bro not bad."
Ozil's best stint as a player came at Arsenal, where he made 254 appearances, bagging 44 goals and 75 assists across competitions. He was also a part of Germany's World Cup-winning team in 2014.
