Toni Kroos provides response when asked by Jurgen Klopp if ex-Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos 'is actually a nice guy?'
Former German midfielder Toni Kroos responded to former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's question about his erstwhile Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos. The 34-year-old called the Spaniard a 'good teammate', which the German tactician found 'hard to believe'.
Kroos joined Real Madrid from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014. He spent 10 seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, racking up 28 goals and 99 assists in 465 appearances across all competitions. Of those 465, he made 223 appearances alongside Ramos. The pair won a threepeat of UEFA Champions League trophies (2015-16 to 2017-18), two LaLiga titles, four FIFA Club World Cups, and many more trophies.
Kroos recently hosted his compatriot Klopp on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast. The latter recalled an incident from the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. In the first half, Ramos delivered a strong tug on Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah's shoulder, forcing him to be substituted in the 30th minute.
Reminiscing the episode, Klopp asked Kroos (via Madrid Zone on X):
"When Ramos took Mo Salah out of the CL final, is he actually a nice guy?"
The 34-year-old replied, "Mr Ramos is a very good teammate, YES."
Klopp saw the funny side of things, saying, "That is hard for me to believe. He's not going to be my favorite player, but whatever."
Without their star forward, the Reds lost their way, allowing Los Blancos to coast to a 3-1 victory. While Ramos left Real Madrid to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Kroos added another two Champions League titles (2021-22 and 2023-24) to his glittering trophy cabinet.
"I have to be honest" - Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp opens up to former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos after facing backlash for Red Bull move
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has broken the silence around his move to join Red Bull as their Head of Global Soccer after receiving heavy backlash. The 57-year-old spoke openly about the decision on the Einfach mal Luppen podcast, hosted by Real Madrid icon Toni Kroos.
The German tactician had announced that he would take a sabbatical from football after his departure from Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. However, his move to Red Bull was announced just months later, coming as somewhat of a surprise to the footballing world.
After the move was announced, Klopp received a lot of flak, particularly from his former clubs Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund. Responding to the criticism, the Champions League-winning manager said (via Eurosport):
"You cannot make your decision depending on what reactions there will be. I am 57 and can still work a few more years. But I did not see myself on the sidelines for now. It was always clear, well, clear to me, that I wouldn't do nothing."
"And then the Red Bull story came up. It was an outstanding (opportunity), and I have to be honest about that. I did not want to step on anyone’s toes, absolutely not. I love all my former clubs, but I don't know what I could have done so that everyone is happy," Klopp added.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager has joined Red Bull as the Global Head of Soccer and will start his tenure in January 2025.