Real Madrid News
Barcelona superstar hails Real Madrid icon: “Without him, you start to get impatient”
Toni Kroos is not far away from officially hanging his boots from the beautiful game. Having already said his goodbyes to the Real Madrid faithful, he is currently playing his last international tournament for Germany at the Euros.
The beginning of the knockout stages, needless to say, leaves fans in a situation where every game Kroos plays could be his final appearance as a player.
The veteran, however, comfortably qualified for the quarterfinals last night with a 2-0 win over Denmark and extended his stay in the competition.
In the process, the departing legend created a staggering four chances and completed 55 passes including seven into the final third for his side.
Gundogan in awe of Toni Kroos
Speaking to the media after Germany’s win over Denmark in their first knockout game of the tournament, FC Barcelona star and Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan spoke in detail about his connection with Kroos.
“With Toni, I have the freedom to stay in front and wait because I know the ball will come at some point,” Gundogan told The Athletic.
“Only a few players in world football are as efficient and calm on the ball as he is,” he added.
Elaborating on what made the Real Madrid legend so special on the field and his skills as a playmaker, the Barcelona star said,
“He is very consistent and gives our team stability. He reads the game and gives us balance with and without the ball and gives other players like me more freedom to create dangerous chances in front of goal.”
With Kroos set to retire after the current tournament, Germany are set to lose the services of one of their all-time greats. Gundogan’s comment that followed on how the game changes without the Real Madrid star, thus, provides a clear picture of his importance.
“Without Toni Kroos, you might start to get impatient, and you might drop further to receive the ball, which is not the point.
“Now I know the ball is going to come, I just need to be ready. This makes things much easier,” he explained.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
