Constant chanting descended upon Toni Kroos during recent Supercopa de Espana matches, in response to his critique of Saudi Arabian movements that prioritized financial gain over the development of youthful players.
The symphony of applause persisted from the semifinal matchup against Atletico Madrid to the championship matchup against Barcelona. Notwithstanding its unprecedented nature, the Real Madrid midfielder adopted the circumstance, perceiving it as a source of amusement and a fresh and tҺrilling encounter.
As he reflected on the chanting, he jokingly wondered who could endure it the longest.
Kroos said on his podcast “Einfach mal Luppen,” “I didn’t even believe it was for me; I didn’t anticipate it at all.”
“As a matter of fact, I believe it is unfavorable for young players to enter the league and forego the money in the Saudi Arabian league in lieu of the development, the big games, and the high levels in Europe, all of which they are certainly capable of participating in.”
“I made that remark at the time, and it has been approximately six months since then; I have since forgotten it.”
“I became cognizant of it during the initial segment of the final examination.” At first, I failed to recognize that they were booing in reference to me. Upon observing the admirers, I immediately thought, “Oh, this is for you, exclusively for you.” I am capable of performing the addition operation of two plus two.
“I must sаy, from the depths of my heart, that it had no negаtive impact on my performance; in fact, I found it quite humorous.”
“Occasional thoughts crossed my mind regarding who could endure longer.” It could become tedious over time, and I observed that there were fewer and fewer of them by the end (laughter).
“Upon their replacement, all individuals regained their composure and mustered their maximum effort [to whistle at me].” It eventually becomes routine and induces a smile. “My statements are confirmed by the booing; I was probably correct.”
An ironic moment ensued when Kroos observed that the stadium was primarily occupied by Real Madrid supporters, thereby accentuating the discord among the supporters.
Notwithstanding the sirens, a considerable segment of the audience opted not to engage, thereby introducing an unforeseen development to the situation.
Kroos responded amusingly to the circumstance, recognizing the jest that the chanting, which was apparently directed at him, originated from Real Madrid supporters.
The origins of the dispute
The criticism originated in August 2023, when Kroos expressed his disapproval of youthful talents opting for lucrative transfers to Saudi clubs, describing the model as defective because it incentivizes players solely for financial gain.
“It’s an incredibly bad model for many young players where the motivation is money,” Kroos commented.
“The real issue in football development is when a decision is made solely for financial gain at that age.” This is an intricate matter.
“I believe it is unfortunate that individuals, during the prime of football, abandon the concept of the sport. That individual is not a suitable role model and poses a future threаt to football, in my opinion.”