Toni Kroos answered questions in the press conference ahead of match against Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals. The midfielder analyzed the first leg of the semis as follows: "The keys will be playing well, scoring goals and defending well. This is an important factor against a team like this, who score three or four goals every game. We're playing at home and we'll be looking to attack and score goals. We have played a lot of games like this and I’m confident in our experience and in how we handle these games. Hopefully it'll go well for us”.
He continued: "It's very important to know that Vini Jr. is still very young. These are situations that he hasn't experienced a thousand times in his life. He's the player who has made the difference for us this season. At 22 years old, it's not normal to be playing so well for the whole season. He's never injured. If you ask the defenders who've played against him, they'll tell you that he's very annoying because he's always looking for one-on-ones. With his quality he's helped us a lot. He's young and has a lot to learn. If he can always be calm and composed, he's playing incredibly well. If he comes through this, which is sometimes normal because they taunt him and the referees sometimes don't help him, he's different”.
"He has had to live with this for 15 years and he has to stay calm and not get put off his game. He deserves a bit more protection from the referees because there's often a fierce atmosphere before an incident that doesn't help anyone. These are the players we all want to see on the pitch, except the opposition, and he has to be protected. He's a crucial player for us”, the German added.
The demands of the fixture schedule: “We're fine. I'm never going to make excuses if something goes wrong because I'm tired. Some days you feel better and some days you feel worse but we won't lack strength. We're not going to be tired because it's the Champions League semi-finals, you can't be tired. It's something that can be improved, playing matches like this every three days is not ideal. We haven't had any help from here or from outside, so we have to do our best. There are no excuses”.
He continued: “This decision was taken a few years ago. It's generally the case, but already for months or years. It's not now. It's a different season because of the World Cup, but it's not just a current issue. Some years ago I said it's too much, but nobody wants to pull out of a competition because it would mean less money, but the players aren't asked if we're happy or not”.
Rooney’s comments: “It was the same last year. Hardly anyone expected us to go through in the semi-finals and win the Champions League but we did. Rooney is a guy I like a lot. Some people said the same thing a year ago and it doesn't affect us and it doesn't motivate more us because it's impossible to be more motivated than we are”.
On Manchester City being the toughest opposition: “You can't say. Fortunately we've played a lot of knockout stages in the Champions League against a lot of teams in Europe with a lot of quality and who have defeated us. You can't say which is the most difficult. It depends on the day. A City team coached by Pep isn't easy to beat”.
If Manchester City go into it with more motivation: “I don't know if they'll be more motivated than last year. It's clear that they have the aim of winning the Champions League and most of their players haven't won it. It's practically impossible to be more motivated. Last year they had two good games, although they didn't get to Madrid with the best result. I expect the same level of motivation, I think it's impossible to be more motivated”.
Guardiola’s teams: “Pep's teams always play his style of football. We know he has his idea of football and in every team he has coached you can see that it's one of Pep's teams. They're always looking for something to improve and they do it with signings and Haaland is a different player. He's scored 51 goals this season and he's not doing badly. We expect a very tough Manchester City who are in very good form”.
His position in midfield: “I feel very comfortable as a defensive midfielder. As an 8 you're higher up and you know that if you lose a tackle they can sweep it up at the back. If you play as a 6 you are closer to the goal and you have to be more committed in the tackles and think more about defence and what happens if the team loses the ball. With the ball it doesn't change much. I play my game wherever I play”.
Inside midfielder or anchor: "I feel very comfortable in both positions. There are slight differences, but sometimes the best way to defend is to have the ball. We'll definitely have our moments against this team, who want the ball a lot, where we'll defend and chase them down. That question is better for the coach. I always believe that defending is a team effort. I feel comfortable in both positions”.
Contract extension: “I can only talk about my situation, I'm not the president to talk about another player. I said weeks ago that he was on the right track. It's not my job to officially announce things either, it's up to the club. But it's going very well. I don't have to talk about this with anyone except the club, it's all clear”.
Bellingham: “I haven't seen enough of him to have an opinion because I haven't seen that many Dortmund games. If he were to come here, I'd look at him”.
Modern-day football: “I think we all have to get used to it because it's not going to change. There's big money in football and that's a good thing. I see the difference. I've got nothing against owners from other countries, it depends on what you do with the money. If you buy a club as a toy it's not good. But if you have an idea to create a better club that's a good thing for football. Opening academies for young people is a good and positive thing. There are always two ways of looking at it and different examples”.
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