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Champions League: bitterest career experience pearled off Kroos

Toni Kroos has never been impressed by reviews. When he was 30, he perfected what distinguished him from a young age.

In podcasts he emphasizes himself without a filter, the broadsides in his adopted country of Spain for doubts about the waiver of wages in the Corona crisis (“Like a donation to nothing”) were as passé as quickly as he contributed to the Madrid championship with undeniable achievements.

Toni Kroos and Real Madrid face Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. In the meantime, the German is back

Source: dpa / Uwe Anspach

And he also disarms the usual grumblers in social networks with effortless irony. “Kroos is so overrated, man,” wrote a fan. “Yes, but don’t tell anyone,” replied the player.

Controversial banking place

The faults of an evening that can confidently be described as the personally bitterest of his glorious years in Madrid with three Champions League victories also seem to be pearled off the German.

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At the end of February, coach Zinedine Zidane put him on the bench in the first knockout round match against Manchester City. It was the first time since his move in 2014 that such a fit Kroos happened in an important match. To the general astonishment, he wasn’t even brought on when Real slipped away after a 1-0 lead.

In the end, the English coached by Pep Guardiola triumphed 2-1 and could allow themselves a 0-1 in the second leg in front of their own – albeit empty – grandstands. Those who have the upper hand on Friday from 9 p.m. (in the sports ticker of WELT) qualify for the “Final 8”, which begins in Lisbon on Wednesday.

Chat with Guardiola

That February evening, Zidane had to put up with many questions. Kroos said nothing publicly and retaliated – if at all – in a subtle way: through an extensive chat with Guardiola, whom he had once got to know and appreciate at Bayern Munich. They paralyzed on the edge of the interview area, so it was clearly visible to the media multipliers – who immediately scandalized what they saw.

Coach Zinedine Zidane only left Kroos on the bench in the first leg

Coach Zinedine Zidane only left Kroos on the bench in the first leg

Source: AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS

Real fan journalists saw in the conversation a clever destabilization maneuver by the city trainer. Guardiola has been suspected of devilishness since he not only led FC Barcelona to one title after another between 2008 and 2012, but also cultivated a discourse of aesthetic superiority that was considered arrogant in Madrid.

Real replied at the time with the signing of coach bulldozer José Mourinho. But while Guardiola was soon only annoying the capitals from afar with his activism for Catalan independence, the turnaround only came about when they remembered football. With discreet trainers like Zidane, and with a mix of aggressive leaders like Captain Sergio Ramos and calm quality workers like Kroos.

Best pass rate in the Spanish league

After home games, he is often the only one who takes a few more steps towards the curve and thanks the fans for their support; if only because he is so used to it from Germany. But he is certainly not one who looks at the people’s mouth.

If the midfielder has established itself again as an integral part of Real’s axis after a weak 2018/19 season, which is why many of the misunderstood contract extension until 2023 and the setback in the first leg of the city have established itself, this is certainly not due to pandering to the catcher. Kroos certainly assures how happy he is in Madrid and how proudly he plays for the club: it is not for nothing that he wants to end his career at Real.

Toni Kroos should lead Real to Manchester City in the quarter-finals

Toni Kroos should lead Real to Manchester City in the quarter-finals

What: AP

But he also has no problem going first on a gamer night, or admitting that he has never been to the city center. The audience accepts all of this as somehow typically German – as long as they only let the ball speak in a cliché-like, reliable manner.

This season, Kroos suited a teammate in 93.49 percent of the cases, making it more accurate than anyone else in La Liga. In the frenetic final sprint with games every three days, he only missed the less important matches. And the situation at the Königshof, which was threatening after the first leg loss to City, has completely relaxed thanks to the championship.

Really without Ramos

Above all, Zidane, then heavily criticized for the match plan without Kroos, has regained his aura and was celebrated as the architect of the first title since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.

Because of the financial bottlenecks of the Corona period, the team will stay together next season. The disgraced Gareth Bale and James Rodríguez alone are to be sold. She never took Zidane back to Manchester.

also read

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos lifts the championship cup into the night sky after defeating Villarreal

For Real there is little to nothing against Guardiola. It takes at least two goals of your own, but goals are notoriously difficult without Ronaldo. The league was won on the defensive. Just their boss Ramos is now blocked – and he is also Madrid’s second best scorer. In this situation, hope is at best the own history of the record European Cup winner. And a difference to the first leg: Toni Kroos should be on the pitch.

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