Toni Kroos reflects on Real Madrid’s poor season – ‘Two seasons without winning is unacceptable’ | OneFootball

Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos was critical of the team’s disappointing season which is set to end with them without any trophies.

The former midfielder also spoke about the performance of the team in the 2-0 loss to El Clasico on Sunday, which allowed Barcelona to be crowned champions with still three games left in the campaign.

Kroos on Real Madrid

“Two seasons without winning is unacceptable at Madrid, period. The results on the pitch are due to the poor relationships within the club,” Kroos stated.

Speaking specifically about Real Madrid’s performance in the Clasico, Kroos admitted that the team never truly believed they could win.

“They were probably motivated to win the Clasico, but it wasn’t enough. The defeat was already accepted before it even started,” the club legend remarked.

“I think they were happy with this result before the game began. The second half was more balanced, but I didn’t score. Simply put, congratulations to Barça,” he added.

Marcus Rashford gave Barcelona the lead with a direct free-kick, although Kroos defended Thibaut Courtois from criticism over the goal.

Toni Kroos was critical of Real Madrid. (Photo by Patricia J. Garcinuno/Getty Images for Laureus)

“You can’t say Courtois could have done more. It was a great strike from a very tight space. He took a step towards the other post, but you can’t blame him for the goal,” he noted.

Kroos was far more critical when discussing Ferran Torres’ goal for 2-0, stating that it highlighted the difference between the two teams.

“The second goal shows you the difference between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The players involved in that goal, Dani Olmo and Ferran, might not be starters if all the other players were available,” Kroos remarked.

“Names aren’t very important in this case, because they have well-developed game plans and movement patterns from training,” he added.

Concluding, Kroos highlighted Arda Guler as someone that Real Madrid should look to build the team around, saying:

“Arda Güler is a player for the future. He’s played a lot this year and will be very important for Madrid. His best position is as a No. 10, close to the goal. He has a great final pass, which is why he needs to be close to the strikers and wingers.

“He’s not a defensive-minded player, so you lose some of his potential when he plays deeper, even though he can still help build play from the back.”