Former Real Madrid star blasts Los Blancos’ “unacceptable” dropoff

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos says the club’s recent trophy drought is “unacceptable”, adding that the behind-the-scenes turmoil at Los Blancos clearly took a toll in the team’s defeat to arch rivals Barça on Sunday.

“Two seasons without winning [major silverware] is unacceptable at Madrid, period,” Kroos said on Monday, as he broke down El Clásico with his brother Félix on their YouTube channel Luppen TV.

Real Madrid “would have signed up” for Clásico scoreline

“The result on the field reflects the poor atmosphere within the squad,” Kroos said. “Maybe they were motivated to win El Clásico, but it wasn’t enough. Before kickoff, it felt like defeat was coming. I think they would have signed up for this result ahead of time. The second half was more balanced, but I didn’t see anything decisive. Simply put, congratulations to Barça.”

The German also weighed in on Marcus Rashford’s opening goal for Barça, who clinched the league title with their win over Madrid. “You can’t say [Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut] Courtois should have done more. It’s a fantastic strike in a very tight window. He takes a step toward the far post, but you can’t blame him for conceding.”

Kroos also dissected the moment Barça doubled their lead, through Ferran Torres, and pointed to the key difference between the two teams this season. “That second goal shows you the gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid,” said the 36-year-old, who spent 10 years at the Bernabéu before hanging up his boots in 2024.

“The players involved - Dani Olmo and Ferran - might not even be starters if everyone else were available. The individual names don’t matter much in this case, because they have clearly defined patterns of play and movements that are drilled on the training ground.”

Güler “very important” for Real future

Kroos sees Arda Güler as a cornerstone of Real Madrid teams to come: “Güler is a player for the future. He’s played a lot this year and will be very important for Madrid. His best position is as a No. 10, close to goal. He has an excellent final pass, so he needs to be near the strikers and wingers.”

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