Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos was the pantomime villain on Wednesday night in Riyadh, not for anything he did on the football pitch, but for his comments off it. The German star has never been one to hold his tongue, and criticised players who moved to Saudi Arabia last summer, adding to comments he made in 2020.
Kroos came on after the 70th minute against Atletico Madrid in their 5-3 Spanish Supercup semi-final win over Los Colchoneros after the match went to extra time. While the crowd was mostly partisan in favour of Real Madrid, Kroos received the loudest boos of the night, heard every time he touched the ball. Which was quite often, recording 85 touches in 57 minutes, and completing 72 of his 76 passes (95%).
Saudi fans loudly boo German Toni Kroos, Real Madrid player, against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in Riyadh. Kroos had previously strongly attacked and criticised Saudi Arabia and confirmed his refusal to play there. #SpanishSuperCup #RealMadridAtletico pic.twitter.com/fUkmSAkbb9
— Mohamed Alkaoud _محمد القاعود (@melkaaoud) January 11, 2024
In 2020, he had said that players who move to Saudi Arabia are going for money and not for any other reason, claiming it was ‘bad for football’. He also stated that he would never go there himself due to ‘the lack of human rights’. Kroos has made comments on homosexuality in the past too.
“My common sense tells me that everyone should live it in complete freedom, there is no doubt about it.That said, I don’t know if I would advise an active footballer to declare himself openly homosexual.”
After Gabri Veiga made his €35m move to Al Ahli, Kroos also commented ‘shameful’ in response to the move, saying that he thought it was sad that players who could play at the top level went to Saudi Arabia for money in his podcast Einfach mal Luppen. The curious thing is that Kroos has played in Saudi Arabia since the above comments were made without reaction, but received little reaction – the comments did resurface in the days before the Supercup semi-final.
That was fun today! Amazing crowd😍
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) January 10, 2024
Following the match, Kroos put out a tweet mocking the treatment he had received. Carlo Ancelotti also spoke to the boos after the match too, telling Cadena SER that he did not understand it.
