Speaking on Vamos (h/t MARCA), Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has opened up on his equation with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, while also reflecting on his time under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.

Kroos joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2014, right after winning the FIFA World Cup with Germany. And the iconic midfielder credits Perez for the transfer while also hailing the club supremo for always being honest and upfront with him.

“If we talk about Real Madrid, we have to talk about Florentino. He’s the man who signed me and received me with great affection from day one till today. I’ve never had problems with him, we’ve always been honest with each other, and he has always given me his trust.”

Before moving to the Santiago Bernabeu, Kroos was at Bayern Munich where he was playing under one of the best managers in the game in Guardiola. Opening up on how the Catalan coach tried hard to convince him to stay at the Allianz Arena, the midfielder said:

“Guardiola fought until the last day to keep me at Bayern Munich. If I had to choose my ideal coach for my playing style, it would be Pep. He improved me a lot.”

At Real Madrid, Kroos formed a legendary midfield trio along with Luka Modric and Casemiro. However, the iconic trident was broken apart this past summer with the Brazilian leaving for Manchester United in a move that came as a surprise for Kroos.

“I was surprised that Casemiro left. It is true that there were rumours but there are always rumours and often nothing happens. But when he told me he was leaving, I was sad, I started to remember all the years I spent with him and all we achieved together,” he said.

The FIFA World Cup will start in a couple of weeks, but Kroos will not play a part as he announced his retirement from international football last year. Explaining his decision to call time on his career with the German national team, he said:

“The reasons for my retirement were to spend more time with my family, secondly because now there are players who deserve to play more and I didn’t want to reach the time when they would come and tell me it was better for me to retire. I wanted to decide.”