Kroos: 'We’re motivated to get the win and finish the group in first place'
'We have a team that can compete, and our objective is to win the Champions League', said the German.
Toni Kroos spoke at the press conference ahead of the game against Glasgow Celtic, on matchday six of the Champions League group stage 6:45 pm CET: “The team needs a victory. We’re motivated to get the win tomorrow and finish the group in first place, which is always our objective. We’ve got the team to do it. We need to put on a good performance, as always, to win in the Champions League. I’m positive that we’re going to do it”.
“I’m doing really well, I feel good physically and things are going well on the pitch. I’m really happy and totally relaxed”.
On his future
“It’s funny to read things when even I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ll think about it next year, or in the break. I’ll gradually make a decision on what I want to do. What I’ve always said won’t change, that I won’t be going anywhere, I’m not going to change club. I’ll retire here, but I don’t know when. The club and I are relaxed about it, we always talk and there’s nothing new. It’s a very special relationship, it always has been during these eight years, and I’m sure that won’t change. We’ll speak in January, February or March”.
His 382 appearance for Madrid
“I’m not interested in the numbers, I only wanted to be successful here. It’s not easy when you’re young, I was 24 and came from abroad. I just wanted to be successful and at this club, you can only be successful if you play well and win trophies. I’m not interested in the numbers and how many games I’ve played. I’m just interested in how I play, more in the quality of performance than the number of games. I still feel good and we’ll see what happens”.
On the game against Girona
“If you can’t win, at least don’t lose, that’s what the coach told us. We weren’t at our best until we scored, and we know that. Afterwards, we wanted to control the game, we had chances for the second and a penalty was awarded against us. This can happen. We got a draw and we’re still top. We need to get back to winning ways”.
“I’m doing really well, I feel good physically and things are going well on the pitch. I’m really happy and totally relaxed”.
On his future
“It’s funny to read things when even I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ll think about it next year, or in the break. I’ll gradually make a decision on what I want to do. What I’ve always said won’t change, that I won’t be going anywhere, I’m not going to change club. I’ll retire here, but I don’t know when. The club and I are relaxed about it, we always talk and there’s nothing new. It’s a very special relationship, it always has been during these eight years, and I’m sure that won’t change. We’ll speak in January, February or March”.
His 382 appearance for Madrid
“I’m not interested in the numbers, I only wanted to be successful here. It’s not easy when you’re young, I was 24 and came from abroad. I just wanted to be successful and at this club, you can only be successful if you play well and win trophies. I’m not interested in the numbers and how many games I’ve played. I’m just interested in how I play, more in the quality of performance than the number of games. I still feel good and we’ll see what happens”.
On the game against Girona
“If you can’t win, at least don’t lose, that’s what the coach told us. We weren’t at our best until we scored, and we know that. Afterwards, we wanted to control the game, we had chances for the second and a penalty was awarded against us. This can happen. We got a draw and we’re still top. We need to get back to winning ways”.
“There are chats with the referees, but the same thing happens every year. They award what they think is right and what they see at the time. I’m convinced it wasn’t a penalty, but I don’t like to talk about the referees too much because sometimes it goes the other against you and other times in your favour. I’m just surprised because during the game it was done well, it was decided well. Then it goes to VAR and I didn’t understand that. I saw it on the television and I didn’t think it was a penalty, but I don’t believe it was the reason why we drew. We drew because we didn’t play well in the first 70 minutes, unlike in the last 20”.
On his sending off
"It took a lot of games for it to happen. I thought I had to commit a slight foul to stop the counterattack. I tried to make minimal contact to avoid getting sent off, but that was impossible”.
His current form
“I don’t know if I’m at my peak, because in the last eight years I’ve had a lot of good moments. This is quite a good moment and I’m feeling good. I try to adapt to what the team needs. When a player like Casemiro leaves, after everything he’s given, and new players join who play differently, players like me and Luka have to adapt".
“In some games, especially the big ones, perhaps you have to defend a bit more. There hasn’t been a big change in terms of my statistics with the ball. I always try to help the team by playing deeper to get the ball up to the final third as quickly as possible. I try to play like that, but perhaps I have improved in terms of my defending this season”.
On winning a sixth European Cup
“That wouldn’t be bad at all. I can count up to six, so it wouldn’t be a problem. It’s the same every year – we want to win every competition we play in. It’s a new season with a very good team. We’ve started well and, as is always the case in the Champions League, you have to make sure you’re there when the last 16 starts, for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, etc. Last season, we saw that it was possible, but you can also be eliminated on any day. There’s no doubt we have a team that can compete, and our objective is to win it”.
On Modrić
“I don’t know when he’ll retire. We all value things differently. I haven’t asked Luka what he’s going to do. He’s old enough to know. If he’s here in my place one day, you can ask him”.
Fatigue due to intense fixture calendar
“In my case, not physically. Sometimes you might play a game worse even though you’re good physically, because the opposition always makes it difficult for you. I’m feeling good physically and knowing that a break is coming up helps me to avoid feeling tired. As we’ve lost one and drawn another, it’s normal for there to be talk of tiredness. Eight or nine days ago, we won and nobody spoke about tiredness then. We’ve got three games left. I’m only going to play in two of them. I’m up for it and there won’t be a problem physically”.
On extending his career
“I can play with my son until I’m 50”.
On whether he would prefer to win the Champions League or a World Cup
"It’s really difficult to compare, almost impossible. They’re the two most important competitions in football. I've been asked this many times. Becoming a world champion is the greatest thing ever, it's every four years and it's getting more and more difficult to win it. If you're lucky you can play in it three or four times and the Champions League every year, but they’ve all been special moments”.
On his sending off
"It took a lot of games for it to happen. I thought I had to commit a slight foul to stop the counterattack. I tried to make minimal contact to avoid getting sent off, but that was impossible”.
His current form
“I don’t know if I’m at my peak, because in the last eight years I’ve had a lot of good moments. This is quite a good moment and I’m feeling good. I try to adapt to what the team needs. When a player like Casemiro leaves, after everything he’s given, and new players join who play differently, players like me and Luka have to adapt".
“In some games, especially the big ones, perhaps you have to defend a bit more. There hasn’t been a big change in terms of my statistics with the ball. I always try to help the team by playing deeper to get the ball up to the final third as quickly as possible. I try to play like that, but perhaps I have improved in terms of my defending this season”.
On winning a sixth European Cup
“That wouldn’t be bad at all. I can count up to six, so it wouldn’t be a problem. It’s the same every year – we want to win every competition we play in. It’s a new season with a very good team. We’ve started well and, as is always the case in the Champions League, you have to make sure you’re there when the last 16 starts, for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, etc. Last season, we saw that it was possible, but you can also be eliminated on any day. There’s no doubt we have a team that can compete, and our objective is to win it”.
On Modrić
“I don’t know when he’ll retire. We all value things differently. I haven’t asked Luka what he’s going to do. He’s old enough to know. If he’s here in my place one day, you can ask him”.
Fatigue due to intense fixture calendar
“In my case, not physically. Sometimes you might play a game worse even though you’re good physically, because the opposition always makes it difficult for you. I’m feeling good physically and knowing that a break is coming up helps me to avoid feeling tired. As we’ve lost one and drawn another, it’s normal for there to be talk of tiredness. Eight or nine days ago, we won and nobody spoke about tiredness then. We’ve got three games left. I’m only going to play in two of them. I’m up for it and there won’t be a problem physically”.
On extending his career
“I can play with my son until I’m 50”.
On whether he would prefer to win the Champions League or a World Cup
"It’s really difficult to compare, almost impossible. They’re the two most important competitions in football. I've been asked this many times. Becoming a world champion is the greatest thing ever, it's every four years and it's getting more and more difficult to win it. If you're lucky you can play in it three or four times and the Champions League every year, but they’ve all been special moments”.