Toni Kroos appears to aim brutal dig at Real Madrid megastar with PSG reference: ‘They start to do bad gestures’ | OneFootball

Former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has sparked fresh debate after making comments that many believe were indirectly aimed at Vinicius Jr.

The German midfielder was discussing the recent Paris Saint-Germain Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, where Ousmane Dembele was substituted in the second half despite scoring the decisive goal that helped PSG reach the final.

Although Dembele had been PSG’s standout player once again, Luis Enrique decided to replace him in the 65th minute after noticing a drop in intensity. 

The decision quickly attracted attention because of the way Dembele reacted afterwards.

Rather than showing frustration, the French forward accepted the substitution calmly, shook hands with his manager, and continued encouraging his teammates from the bench throughout the remainder of the match.

Aim at Vinicius?

Kroos appeared particularly impressed by that reaction and used the moment to highlight what he believes top-level mentality should look like inside elite teams.

Reacting to the incident, the former Real Madrid midfielder was quoted by Fabrizio Romano as saying, “Luis Enrique subbed out Ousmane Dembele, his best player, in the 65th minute of a Champions League semi-final and nobody complained. 

“He exits the pitch, shakes his coach’s hand and sits on the bench cheering his teammates. There are some counterexamples to this.”

Vinicius did not take his substitution lightly. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The comments immediately led to speculation online because of the similarities many fans drew with Vinicius’ situation at Real Madrid under former manager Xabi Alonso.

Earlier this season, Vinicius was substituted during El Clasico by Alonso, with reports later claiming the relationship between the player and the coach became strained afterwards. 

The Brazilian’s reactions during substitutions and moments of frustration have frequently been discussed throughout the campaign.

Kroos then appeared to double down on his point while continuing to praise Dembele’s attitude from the bench.

“You look at Ousmane Dembele, and how he’s yelling at his teammates to keep fighting, from the bench. 

“That’s not what 90% of players who think they’re stars would do. They start to do bad gestures on the pitch, then sit on the bench sulking.”

Although Kroos never directly mentioned Vinicius by name, the context of his comments has already triggered reactions across social media.