Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos delivers blunt response when asked about crowd reception in Saudi Arabia
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has once again opened a can of worms that is his opinion regarding football in Saudi Arabia.
His recent response was triggered by the reception he was given by the crowd during the recent Supercopa de Espana games held in the country.
When asked about whether the crowd response bothered him, Kroos delivered a typically cold response. (via SPORTbible)
“No, for me, they meant more or less the confirmation that what I said was correct.”
The German spoke in reference of his belief that Saudi Arabia and the SPL are ‘buying’ their fame by throwing lucrative amounts of money at established players in Europe.
As a result, Kroos was booed every time he was on the ball during Real Madrid’s 5-3 win over Atletico Madrid, as well as their 4-1 win over Barcelona in the final. The local crowd did not appreciate the German’s prior comments about players joining the SPL and made it known.
La Liga side Celta Vigo’s 21-year-old prodigy Gabri Veiga was linked with moves to Napoli as well as Manchester City. However, the young midfielder chose to move to SPL side Al-Ahli instead. That prompted a comment from Toni Kroos on social media saying “embarrassing”.
The German was also quoted saying,
“It’s been said that they play ambitious football there, but it’s all about money.
“In the end, it’s a decision for money against football. The lack of human rights, it would prevent me from going.”
Toni Kroos has never shied away from voicing his opinion publicly. He posted a sarcastic message on his Instagram account following Real Madrid’s 5-3 win over Atletico last month. Kroos was constantly booed every time he touched the ball. The post read:
“Amazing crowd.”
Aside from this off-field saga, Toni Kroos has delivered yet another stellar season for Real Madrid so far. He has played 2,042 minutes for Los Blancos across 31 games, scoring one goal and providing six assists.
Despite being in his 16th year as a professional, Kroos still has the hunger to perform at the highest level. He will also complete 10 years with Real Madrid at the end of this season and will look to end the campaign with silverware.
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