Toni Kroos bowed out from La Liga on Saturday night, making his final league appearance for Real Madrid before retirement this summer. Real Betis were the bridesmaids at the Santiago Bernabeu, although they managed to escape with a 0-0 draw after a very spirited display.
Speaking after the match, Betis head coach Manuel Pellegrini – who managed Los Blancos during the 2009-10 season – paid tribute to Kroos, stating that the German midfield maestro has made a massive impact on Spanish football – quotes via Diario AS.
“The question is: what has Kroos not brought to La Liga? Titles, quality… It’s a shame it doesn’t continue. La Liga loses a high-level player, but he has made that decision.”
With Real Betis’ season now over, Pellegrini also reflected on the campaign as a whole, which he considers to have been a partial success.
“The overall balance of the campaign is good, because we qualified for Europe for the fourth consecutive year. We would have liked to go to the Europa League, but we went into the Conference in a difficult year in terms of injuries and finances. I think it was a good season.”
