Toni Kroos played his last game at the Santiago Bernabeu last night and got a memorable farewell from the Real Madrid fans, both as he left the pitch around the 80th minute and after the full-time whistle.
There is no doubt that Kroos will be missed by everyone associated with the Madrid club, but the one person who is going to miss him the most will be Carlo Ancelotti, who will definitely feel the absence of a leader and a truly unique midfielder in his squad.
But as far as the night was concerned, Ancelotti was satisfied with the farewell afforded to the retiring midfielder by the club. This was clear from the comments he made during his press conference after the match, whose main highlights have been reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Talking about the farewell, the Italian tactician said: “All of Madridismo is emotional. He is one of the greatest and ends his career at the top. He is a legend and has had the farewell he deserves.”
Ancelotti praised the midfielder for having reached the heights that he did with Real Madrid, and also commended Kroos’ decision to go out at the best of times:
“What Kroos has done at this club is extraordinary. Doing it better than him is very difficult. The decision is very impactful because no one could have imagined it. He has shown a lot of character. To say goodbye like this is something great; he is one of the great figures in football. Football has been lucky to have him.”
The coach also admitted that it would almost be impossible to replace the German in the Real Madrid squad:
“There is no player with his characteristics in the market or in the squad. We have to replace him in another way. We have midfielders of great quality, and we will have to adapt the play to the characteristics of the players we have, which are different from Kroos. Bellingham, the closer to the goal, the better.”
About the upcoming Champions League final, Ancelotti ensured the journalists that the team will come fully prepared for it:
“We have a week to enjoy, to prepare ourselves fully, and we will be at our best to try to win. I have some doubts. I love the debates you all have.”
Ancelotti represented the emotions of all the Los Blancos fans as he talked about Toni Kroos. Hopefully, he will be able to win one last trophy with the German midfielder as his Real Madrid team will take on Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final in London on 1st June.
