Toni Kroos spoke in front of cameras during the international break and looked very confident and happy about the “new” Bernabeu, about what the team can achieve this season as well as about many other things. Having recovered from the injury which kept him side-lined and unable to help the team at the start of this season, Toni Kroos is now back enjoying his football. That much is clear from his interview with the official Real Madrid media channels:
"This club always wants to win and I've seen that ever since I arrived here seven years ago. I want to have a good season, free of injuries going forward. If that happens, I feel good and I can see how the team is going, I'm relaxed because I know success will come. If we all enjoy ourselves together I have no doubt we've achieve good things. The Champions League is difficult to predict because anything can happen, but we're well prepared and I want to enjoy my football".
“This opening stretch of the season has been different so far. We're in good shape in the competition we're aiming to win, as ever. We have a new coach who wants different things from us to the last manager and it's normal for that to take some getting used to. The important thing is that results have pretty much always been good, but there's still room for improvement. We have had some very good games and in others we've struggled a bit. The key thing is to see the best Real Madrid has to give over the course of the season".
The new Santiago Bernabéu: “It's already the best stadium in the world and it will continue to be so. You can see how it's going to be when it's finished in the images and it looks amazing. I can't wait to play in it, I hope I can have a few years playing in the new stadium".
About his current fitness form: “I'm feeling good and happy to be able to say that. I found it very tough at the start of the season with the injury I had but right now I'm in good shape, having played so many games in the last three weeks".
Things to improve on during the international break: “That depends on each player but for me it's a case of resting up. I was out for three months and now I have played in the last six games, almost 90 minutes every time. It's important to get enough rest, but that won't be all I do because I don't want to lose my fitness. I'm training in a specific manner, working in the gym and on the pitch. It's a good opportunity to manage the work well".
On the scoresheet against Rayo: "I like scoring goals too, especially at the Bernabéu, but I'm not the guy who gets the goals. As a midfielder, it's important to score every now and then, but I think I can give other more important things to the team and that's what I try to do. I'm not the right player to rely on for goals because I don't get many".
His goal-line clearance: "The gaffer told me I'd got two goals this week, with the one I cleared off the line against Rayo. It's unusual for me to be in that position but this season it's where I'm meant to be when defending corners. I started by marking an opposition player but I told Davide (assistant coach) I wouldn't do a great job and it wouldn't be good for the team, I thought I'd be better defending the space. That's why my position is now on the back post defending the space and it worked out well this time".
He continued: “What’s most important is that the player adapts to the club and not the club to the player. All the people at the club, like the president, coaches, the team and the fans have made it really easy for me here and I’ve felt very comfortable since day one. But at a club of this size, it's not just about feeling comfortable, you also need to be successful. Fortunately, we’ve had plenty of successes through my help as well. It’s always been a really unique relationship from day one until today”.
Ancelotti: "He knows me really well from his first stage here and I also know him extremely well. He’s well aware of the player I am, what I can offer to the team and what I need to be comfortable and to be able to give all I can to the team. It's a great relationship and few people know me better than he does".
His contribution in centre of the midfield: "I prefer it if others speak about me, providing they have positive things to say. It’s difficult for me to say it. Everyone knows what my game is about. I try to bring a bit of balance to the team and to make the players around me feel comfortable and to make myself available to them to get the ball off them in difficult situations. They know me and I try to give it everything in every game to make the team and the players next to me better. That’s my idea of football".
His life in Madrid: "Not much is known about me because that’s the way I want it to be. We live a very quiet life, like a normal family. I’m not special off the pitch. We live quietly, on the outskirts of the capital. Two of my children go to school and the other to the nursery. We lead normal lives like many families".
Advice on becoming a footballer: "The most important thing is to work hard and train every day. It’s also important to make good decisions. To get to a professional level sometimes you have to say no to friends and keep training. It’s not easy. I’ve been through it. There’s only one way to make it as a professional footballer and that's why I want to help people".
On how he perfects the changes of direction: "It comes down to one thing: training. That's all I can say. In professional football every player can do it, but the important thing is to do it perfectly and for that to happen you have to train hard. You also have to do it flawlessly in the required situation: in matches, under pressure. I can't say much more than training, because it's a technique and techniques can be trained".
His application, Toni Kroos Academy: "It's a meaningful project for me because I like to pass on my experience to children and adults all over the world. You can also download it all over the world. It has two parts. In the first part I commit whole heartedly to improving the football skills of all the children and adults who train with it because these are the exercises I did as a child and continue to perform today to perfect passes, control, movements, shots, etc. I’ve chosen the exercises because I know what it takes to develop and use them in matches. I also explain them and demonstrate them in videos".
"The other part is for those who don't want to necessarily play sports or improve as a footballer, there is also a section where I explain interesting things such as situations in matches and my view of what happens in the day to day life of a professional footballer and a Real Madrid player. There are plenty of things that happen in matches and I think it's quite interesting for those who love football, Real Madrid or Toni Kroos”.
“There are all kinds of interesting things that happen on the sidelines. Often you just watch the matches and that's it. I want to give an image of everything that happens: if you’re injured, if you finish training on the pitch, because that doesn't mean that your day's work is finished. My idea is to help people improve and there is also a function where you can record yourself doing the exercises I do and upload them. This allows you to receive professional feedback from me or the coaches at the Real Madrid Foundation. It's an application that can really help you improve", he added.
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