Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has revealed that Germany's 7-1 hammering of 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil was such a shock that he felt compelled to apologise to a tearful David Luiz at full-time.
Brazil held high hopes of lifting the World Cup on home soil as they headed into the semi-final against Joachim Low's Nationalmannschaft at Estadio Mineirao, but a Selecao side shorn of star Neymar were well and truly stunned.
Germany went 5-0 up against the hosts within 29 minutes, with four goals in six minutes sparking scenes of disbelief in one of the most extraordinary Word cup fixtures in history.
Chelsea defender Luiz was in tears along with a host of team-mates and thousands of disappointed Brazilians, and Ozil said that the nature of the defeat left him feeling embarrassed for having inflicted suh a painful defeat on the hosts.
Speaking to Arsenal, Ozil said: "Everybody knows the semi-final against Brazil, 7-1. Of course all the players, as well me on the pitch, was a little bit surprised, after 30 minutes [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."
While the semi-final may have been a surreal experience, Ozil maintains that their victory in the final against Argentina - with Mario Gotze scoring an extra-time winner - cannot be topped.
"I think this is the best moment in my career, holding the cup over my head," he said. "You can't realise, in this time you are happy - you celebrate with your team-mates and with the fans, but even in the hotel, you won and you can't realise.
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"But if you fly back to Germany to Berlin to see all the people - unbelievable - then you realise you got it, and you won something big. The best moment in my career."
Ozil also joked that England fans should not be too disheartened, adding: "Don't be jealous guys, maybe next time!"
