Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos was recently seen celebrating the team’s victory in the Spanish Super Cup in Riyadh, but he was pictured not wearing the special commemorative shirt with Arabic inscription that his teammates were wearing.
Kroos played a significant role in the 4-1 win over their rivals, featuring in midfield for 81 minutes before being substituted for Luka Modric.
However, during the post-match celebrations, he was photographed wearing a regular shirt instead of the one with the unique design worn by the rest of the team.
Kroos had faced criticism from Saudi fans following controversial comments he made about high-profile players prioritizing money when moving to the Middle East country.
In particular, he labeled Gabri Veiga’s decision to join Al-Ahli as “embarrassing,” especially given Veiga’s previous links to clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Napoli.
The German also told Sports Illustrated:
“It’s been said that they play ambitious football there, but it’s all about the money. In the end, it’s a decision for the money and against football.
“That’s when it starts to become difficult for the football we all know and love.
“Everyone has to make that decision for themselves, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who decided to do it towards the end of his career.
“But it becomes very difficult when players, who are in the middle of their career and have the quality to play for the best clubs in Europe, decide to make those changes.”
During the Spanish Super Cup semi-final match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Toni Kroos faced jeers from Saudi fans when he came off the bench, and the jeering continued every time he touched the ball.
After the game, the 34-year-old sarcastically commented on the situation in a social media post, writing ‘amazing crowd.’
Real Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, expressed his confusion about the fans’ reaction to Kroos.
Despite the reception received by Kroos, his teammate Dani Carvajal praised the supporters and the atmosphere at the Al-Awwal Stadium.
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