The echoes of the hostile atmosphere with which the team was received at the Bernabeu still reverberate. Despite the soothing thrashing in the Champions League, which marked a turning point in the tension experienced days earlier against Levante, what happened has attracted reactions from all sides.

An authoritative voice to deal with last Saturday’s episode is Toni Kroos. A direct witness of similar situations, he makes his point of view clear. “A player who has not been whistled at the Santiago Bernabeu is not a great player. You can say that this is Real Madrid. It is not its best face, but it describes well what it means to play in this club. The big names are always chosen, for better or worse,” explained the Madrid legend in a new installment of his podcast. However, he makes it clear that it is not the best way to get through difficult situations: “If you are already whistled before the game, it does not make it easier to achieve what the club and everyone wants: to win and play well”.

Falling and getting up

Kroos stresses that it is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that Real Madrid have gone through difficulties, but that the team always comes back. “After winning three Champions Leagues in a row, the 18-19 season was one to throw away. Then they came back. Now it’s the second season where it seems things are not going well and that creates problems. We are not at a club that accepts long periods without winning. You saw that in the decision with the coach and with the reaction of the fans. The players know what they are up against, but I’m sure they are mentally strong enough to keep going and turn things around,” said the former Real Madrid player, who makes a final point: “I was also knocked out against a small team in the Copa del Rey. Our generation also went through bad times. In 2019, in the 1-4 against Ajax, I also heard some whistles.”