“One wheel meshed with the other” - Toni Kroos opens up on the secret behind Real Madrid’s success
Former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos believes that the reason behind the Spanish club's success largely goes down to the role of president Florentino Perez. The German has claimed that the businessman has always lined up a new young player to replace experienced stars who were nearing the end of their careers.
Kroos came to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2014 and remained there until the end of the 2023/24 campaign. During his time in the Spanish capital, the midfielder won six UEFA Champions League trophies and bagged four La Liga titles, among other honors.
Speaking about the reasons behind Real Madrid's ability to win trophies consistently, Kroos said (via @MadridXtra):
"Madrid's success? Perez has always done it very intelligently. We always had to replace a lot of quality, but then a new young player was ready. One wheel meshed with the other."
For instance, Los Blancos managed to deal with Cristiano Ronaldo's departure by introducing Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior. Currently, the club have the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde to play in the position of Kroos, who was a mainstay in the squad.
Throughout his Real Madrid career, the 34-year-old made 465 appearances across competitions, bagging 28 goals and 99 assists. Kroos announced that he would retire from the sport following Germany's UEFA Euro campaign in the summer.
Former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos opens up about his retirement decision
Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has opened up about the decision to retire at the age of 34. Unlike others who often hang up their boots towards the latter stages of their 30s, the German decided to call it a day sooner.
He explained that the constant travel away and remaining distant from family affected him in recent years. Speaking to his countryman and tennis star Alexander Zverev, Kroos said (via Forbes):
"I always wanted to finish at the highest level. I've played with a lot of top players, but few have made it. There were still changes here and there. The constant travel and being away from family have tired me over the years. Maybe five years from now, I'll say it was too soon, but now I feel good."
Kroos also made 114 appearances across competitions for Germany, bagging 17 goals and 21 assists. He managed to win the World Cup with his country in 2014 but did not get his hands on the European Championships.