Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos hits back at Wayne Rooney comments in Manchester City pre-match press conference

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and veteran midfielder Toni Kroos were up in front of the press on Monday, previewing the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, which will take place at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday. Only three days after Los Blancos’ Copa del Rey victory over Osasuna, former Bayern Munich man Kroos was asked about whether there were too many matches at the elite level and also spoke about his changing role in the team, as well as former Manchester United attacker Wayne Rooney’s prediction ahead of the tie.

What will be the key to tomorrow’s match?

Playing well, scoring goals, and being solid in defence. Against a team that scores three or four goals in every match, that’ll be important. We have played a lot matches like that, and I trust in our experience. Hopefully, it will go well.

“No one expected us to win a year ago”

Wayne Rooney said Manchester City would blow Real Madrid away. Is that disrespectful?

It was same a year ago, no one expected us to win. And we did. I heard Rooney’s comments, but others have said the same. It doesn’t affect us or motivate us any more, it’s impossible to be more motivated.

What does Ancelotti ask from you in the holding role?

I feel comfortable there. Playing as an 8 or 6 is different. When you’re an 8, those playing behind you do more defensive work than you. As a 6, you have to be more committed defensively. If you play there, you have to think a little more about what to do if you lose the ball.

Is this Manchester City a typical Pep Guardiola team?

Pep’s teams always play their football. We know he has his ideas, and you can always tell they are his teams. They always look to improve, either through their style of play or with their signings. Haaland is a different kind of player. He has scored 51 goals this season. Not bad. We expect a very strong Manchester City.

Vinícius “deserves more protection from referees”

How can you stop Vinícius from getting involved in so many arguments in games?

It’s important to stress that he’s still very young. These are situations he hasn’t gone through a thousand times in his life. And he’s the player who has made the difference for us this season. It’s not normal to perform so well throughout the season, never getting injured. If you ask any defender, I’m sure they’ll say that playing against him is very challenging. He always looks to take his man on one-against-one. He has brought us this far. As for the everything else, he’s young and he has to learn. Sometimes he’s provoked, and the referees’ decisions don’t help, but he has to learn that he will have to deal with this for the next 15 years. He needs to stay calm and play his own his game. He deserves a bit more protection from the referees. There’s often an atmosphere that doesn’t help anyone. Players like him are the ones we want to see on the field, and they need to be protected.

Have City improved since last year?

I’m not sure if they could be better than last year. In the first leg, they missed some chances to score more before coming to Madrid, but I expect them to be equally motivated.

Do you like Bellingham as a player?

That’s a question for the club. I haven’t seen enough of Dortmund to have a real opinion of him.

Kroos’ Real Madrid future: “The club has to speak”

Will you and the other players who are out of contract stay at Real Madrid?

I can only speak for myself. I said a few weeks ago that everything is going well. It’s not my job to make things official, but everything is going very well. The club has to speak.

Does the team sometimes miss having a more physical defensive midfielder?

As I said, I feel comfortable in both positions. There are slight differences, it true, but sometimes the best way to defend is to have the ball. We will have moments where we’ll have to defend. It’s a question for the coach. I played in the holding role against Barça and Chelsea, and it went well. Defending is a team effort. My feeling is that I feel comfortable in both positions.

No tiredness for a Champions League semi-final

Do you have to play too many matches?

We’re fine. I will never look for excuses. Some days you may feel better than others. But we won’t lack energy or effort. We won’t be tired tomorrow. It’s a Champions League semi-final. Having two matches like these in three days is not ideal. We haven’t received any outside help, but we have to play the matches as they come. There can be no excuses.

But does that force players to make decisions like retiring from the national team, like you did?

I made that decision a few years ago. In general, it’s like that. It’s not something new. This season is a bit different because of the World Cup. But I said it years ago, it’s too much. Nobody wants to remove competitions because it would mean making less money. Players are not asked for their opinion. I hope they won’t look for more.

Is City the toughest team you’ve faced?

I don’t know. Luckily, we’ve played many knockout matches against quality teams that have beaten us. I remember a 4-1 defeat against Ajax. They weren’t necessarily the toughest team, but that day they were. It depends on the day. Playing against City with Pep in charge is not easy, of course.

How do you approach a match against a club which has been criticised for having Abu Dhabi-based owners?

There is a lot of money in football. I have nothing against the owners. It depends on what you do with the money. If you treat the team like a toy, it’s not good. But if you use it to create something positive in soccer, perhaps open academies, then it’s beneficial. There are two ways to do it.