Davide Ancelotti explains why Real Madrid cannot replace Toni Kroos
Real Madrid is arguably the football club in Europe with the highest standards when it comes to winning trophies. The Merengues had a very successful decade from 2010-19, during which they won four UEFA Champions League titles, winning the competition for three consecutive seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
The start of this decade was also quite good for them, as they added another two UCL titles to their cabinet in the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons. However, since their last UCL win, trophies have rather dried up for Los Blancos, as they went the last two seasons without any major piece of silverware.
Their last two UCL wins came with Carlo Ancelotti on the bench, and one of his assistants was his son, Davide Ancelotti. Having worked in such a prominent position, the younger Ancelotti knows a lot about Real Madrid, and appearing in an interview with Diario AS, highlighted one key aspect that has been haunting the team for the last two years.
The Italian tactician, who is currently managing Lille in Ligue 1, believed the departure of Toni Kroos was a big loss for Los Blancos:
“I don’t want everything I say about Madrid to be interpreted as criticism, but when Modric or Kroos were there, every run into space would be met with the ball. I’m not saying that the players there now don’t have that ability. What I’m saying is that, to play vertically, you need someone who knows how to put the ball into those spaces. Being vertical doesn’t mean having eight runners; it also means having someone who can release them. It’s a style of play.”
Davide was clear that replacing Kroos is impossible:
“You lose something you will never get back… The best player in the world in his position. You can’t say, ‘I need another Kroos,’ because there isn’t one.”
The Italian opened up about what made the German midfielder so special:
“He was the master of the game. He controlled the tempo. The game was played the way he wanted. He made the decisions, and he was fundamental because he managed the tempo of the match for you. And on top of that, he ran. He was a player who covered 11 kilometres per game. And he knew how to defend; he had a great tactical understanding. I loved it when he played as a No. 6. I loved it…”
“He didn’t particularly like going for second balls or getting involved in duels… He preferred playing as a No. 8 because he left the dirty work to the No. 6. Inevitably, for the way Real Madrid played, losing Toni was very difficult. They suddenly lost so many things.”
The current Lille coach went on to reveal how Kroos was exceptional off the pitch as well:
“With everyone, with everyone… With Modric too. But yes, I spoke a lot about football with Toni because he is a very intelligent guy. He challenges you and makes you think. He always has an interesting perspective on things. He made you a better coach. It was a shame that he left.”
While recognizing Rodri as an excellent player, Davide was confident Real Madrid will get over their problems even without him:
“Yes. Rodri would fit in anywhere. He is a player…”
“You shouldn’t go looking for a copy of Toni. Madrid will find its balance. With Rodri or without him, they will be competitive until the end, as always. In the end, when it matters, Madrid are always there.”
There is no doubt that players like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were very unique, and adjusting the team to their absence would be the main task for any Real Madrid manager in this new project. For now, it remains to be seen how Jose Mourinho will contend with this problem, but as Davide Ancelotti commented, there is not going to be another Kroos.
