Toni Kroos, former Real Madrid player / Europa Press
It has been a forgettable season for Real Madrid. The white club not only failed to win a single trophy, but also lost La Liga at Spotify Camp Nou, were eliminated in the Copa del Rey round of 16 against Albacete Balompié, and fell again in the Champions League quarterfinals. The atmosphere in the dressing room has steadily worsened, culminating last week in one of the saddest episodes in the club’s history: a fight between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Fede Valverde that sent the Uruguayan to the hospital.
Criticism of Real Madrid has not stopped after mathematically confirming a second consecutive season without major silverware. The latest to take aim at Álvaro Arbeloa’s team is Toni Kroos. “Two seasons without winning is unacceptable at Madrid. Period. It is the result of a long-lasting negative atmosphere, both inside and outside the club, at all levels. Maybe they were motivated to win the clasico, but it wasn’t enough. The defeat was accepted before it even started. I think they would have signed for that result before kick-off,” the former German international said on his podcast ‘Einfach mal Luppen’.
“Rarely have I taken so few notes and felt so little hope. Honestly, I was glad when it was over,” he added about Barça’s emphatic victory in the clasico. Kroos pointed to Barcelona’s second goal as an example of what he sees as the main difference between the two teams: “Olmo and Ferran, the players involved, might not start if the other players were available. The names are not that important because they have well-rehearsed patterns of play and movements in training.”
In the conversation with his brother Félix, Kroos also absolved Thibaut Courtois, saying “you can’t say he could have done more on Rashford’s goal” because the Englishman executed “a great strike in a very tight space.” He also praised Arda Güler, who missed the match due to a muscle injury.
“He is a player for the future. He has played a lot this year and will be very important for Madrid. His best position is as a ’10’, close to the opponent’s goal. He has a great final pass and needs to be near the forwards and wingers,” Kroos concluded about the Turkish player.
