Toni Kroos and the booing of the Real Madrid star in Saudi Arabia: I was right

Toni Kroos faced constant booing during the recent Supercopa de Espana matches, sparking from his criticism of young players prioritizing financial gains in Saudi Arabian moves.

The symphony of boos began in the semi-final against Atletico Madrid and persisted in the final against Barcelona. Despite the novelty, the Real Madrid midfielder embraced the situation, finding it amusing and viewing it as a new and exciting experience.

Reflecting on the booing, he humorously pondered who could endure it more.

"I didn't expect it at all, I didn't even think it was for me," Kroos said on his podcast 'Einfach mal Luppen'.

"The background is that I don't think it's good for young players to come into the league and give up the development, the big games, the high levels in Europe, which they could certainly play, instead of the money in the Saudi Arabian league.

"That was my statement at the time and it was about half a year ago now, for me it was already forgotten.

"I noticed it at some point during the first part (of the final). At first I didn't think they were referring to me (the booing). Then I looked at the fans and realized: Oh, this is for you, just for you. I know how to add two plus two.

"I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that it didn't bother me or affect my way of playing, on the contrary, it was quite funny.

"I thought from time to time, who will be able to endure more. With time it could become boring and in the final I noticed that there were less and less of them (laughs).

"When they replaced me, everyone pulled themselves together again and gathered all their strength [to whistle at me]. You get used to it and it makes you smile. The booing confirms my statements, I was probably right."

The irony arose when Kroos noted the stadium was predominantly filled with Real Madrid fans, emphasizing the conflict within the ers themselves.

Despite the whistles, a significant portion of the crowd chose not to participate, adding an unexpected twist to the scenario.

Kroos handled the situation with humor, acknowledging the joke that the whistling, ostensibly directed at him, came from Real Madrid fans.

The roots of the controversy

The genesis of the criticism dates back to August 2023 when Kroos disapproved of young talents choosing lucrative moves to Saudi clubs, citing it as a flawed model motivating players purely by money.

"It's an incredibly bad model for many young players where the motivation is money," Kroos noted.

"That's also the real problem in football development, when at that age you decide exclusively for money. It's a difficult issue.

"I think it's a shame for anyone who, at the best age of football, gives up the idea of the sport. For me, that's just not a good role model and a danger to football in the future."