Widely regarded as one of the best midfield players in the world today, Germany’s Toni Kroos has enjoyed success wherever he has played with six major League titles, five Champions League triumphs, and one World Cup. Having just won three trophies with his present team Real Madrid, we take a look at some of the greatest quotes about Toni Kroos.
A hundred-plus international appearance player, Kroos was one of the star men as Germany collected the World Cup crown in 2014 as the tournament’s top assists provider.
Known as a central midfield player, Kroos has also starred in the role as a playmaker and has been praised for his all-round footballing abilities on the field of play.
Having mainly played for two of the big giants of European club football, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, he has been mostly instrumental in earning 25 different competition victories in a career spanning 14 seasons with the two teams.
Not a great scorer of goals, Kroos’ strength lies in his providing of assists, where it is calculated that he has provided over 130 passes which have led to goals in over 560 games for the two domestic clubs, compared to just 49 goals scored.
Having retired from international football in 2021, Kroos was selected for five major tournaments, with the undoubted highlight being the World Cup victory in 2014, including two goals in two minutes in the incredible seven-one semi-final victory over the home nation Brazil.
“We signed Toni because we want him to mark an era…..Toni is the type of player we were missing before, the missing link. He is perfect for Madrid.”
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid manager)
“How Toni distributes the ball, how he receives it, is very good. He’s technically excellent…..He has made progress in the last few matches, I’m extremely satisfied with the player.”
Joachim Low (Germany manager)
“He is an important player…..”
Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich manager)
“…..dynamic and hardworking…..perhaps the archetype of the modern attacking midfielder.”
Jonathan Wilson (sports journalist)
“I think that Kroos is the engine of Real Madrid. He has a way of playing that reminds me a lot of myself. He is like my successor on the field.”
Xavi Hernandez (former Barcelona midfielder)
“…..could be the next Michael Ballack.”
Franz Beckenbauer
“…..a top-class central midfielder.”
Paul Scholes (former Manchester United player)
“He’s doing everything right: the pace in his passes is great and he sees everything. It’s nearly perfect.”
Johan Cruyff (former Netherlands player)
“This is a very young player but one with an incredible honours list…..We weren’t surprised by his performances during the World Cup, they were just confirmation that we had chosen the right player.”
Florentino Perez (Real Madrid president)
“He is a passionate footballer with great instinct…..He always takes the right decision on the pitch and you don’t have to tell him what to do.”
Ottmar Hitzfeld (former Bayern Munich manager)
“I have seen his unlimited potential…..At the moment, I see Toni Kroos as further developed than Wolfgang Overath and Gunter Netzer at the same age.”
Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich manager)
“Kroos is a phenomenon…..”
Jonathan Wilson
“It’s better for me when Toni Kroos plays as a number 10…..He is also better in possession of the ball, he gives good passes. The number 10, for me, is Toni Kroos.”
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich team-mate)
“Toni Kroos is an exceptional player and he could play anywhere in the world.”
Pep Guardiola
“Watching Toni Kroos is very special…..”
Declan Rice (West Ham player)
“Toni is incredible, he’s a great player, a legend of the club. When he plays, he’s got a class that no one else has.”
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid team-mate)
“Toni Kroos is also a good example…..Many young players go through such situations, and you have to see who can come out on his own path, who can eliminate the unimportant things, surround himself with the right people, and focus completely on football.”
Joachim Low