Toni Kroos has warned Real Madrid’s rivals in 2016 that “being successful is part of our DNA”.
Los Blancos failed to win any major silverware in 2015, which culminated in Rafa Benitez replacing Carlo Ancelotti as Coach before the start of 2015-16, but the midfielder is hopeful that the next 12 months will prove far more fruitful.
“We all want to do better, for each other and for our fans”, he told Madrid’s official website.
“For those of us playing in a foreign League it’s always nice to spend a few days with family and friends who we don't get to see every day.
“For me, it’s important to be able to be with them over this period. But to be honest, football is always at the forefront of my mind.
“Your mind plays a hugely important role in terms of carrying out your job. Obviously you need to be able to disconnect somewhat, but football never escapes your mind.
“My answer is very clear: we want to do a lot better. We all want to do a lot better, for ourselves and for our fans. We’ve failed to be at our best at certain points of the season.
“I am [optimistic]. There’s some room for improvement and I’m certain we’ll get better.
“We work our socks off on a daily basis and the payoff for that hard work will end up being reflected in the results.
“I’m positive that we'll find that consistency that is not only demanded of us by our fans, but that we too yearn for.
“We’re not even at the halfway point in the domestic championship and we performed very well in the Champions League group stage to reach the round of 16.
“It’s too early to be making evaluations. We are Real Madrid and being successful is part of our DNA.
“I have no doubt that everyone will come back eager to get going again. We’re going to fight for everything and will go out to win all our matches.”
