Toni Kroos hits back at former Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness for claiming he is ‘completely done’ at 31 and no longer suited to the modern game after Germany’s exit from Euro 2020
Toni Kroos has rejected claims made by former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness that he no longer has a place in the modern game.
The Real Madrid midfielder announced his retirement from international football in the days after Germany‘s defeat by England in the last 16 of Euro 2020.
Hoeness singled Kroos out for criticism and suggested he was largely to blame for Germany’s exit from the tournament.
Toni Kroos (left) has hit back at claims made by former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness (right) that he no longer has a place in the modern game
He told Sport1: ‘I like Kroos, he showed world-class performances in the past. He was great for Bayern – but his way of playing is completely done. He no longer fits with today’s football.
‘We are 1-0 down against England in the last quarter of an hour, Kroos no longer crossed the halfway line. He played sideways, then sideways again, until the opposing defence had organised themselves.
‘Bayern players are super self-confident guys who had a big say with Hansi Flick. I know they were totally unhappy with the situation, with Low’s tactics. Yet they accepted it. I don’t understand, I didn’t know them like that.
Hoeness said Kroos played too many sideways passes and claimed his way of playing is ‘completely done’
‘They should have said “Toni Kroos no longer fits into this football with his sideways game. Our football is played vertically. The ball is played forward all the time”.’
His comments didn’t go unnoticed and provoked a strong reation from Kroos.
The midfielder tweeted: ‘Uli Hoeness is a man with great knowledge of football (even if it wasn’t enough for RTL), little interest in polemics and completely at peace with himself. Similar to his greenkeeper.’
The final part of Kroos’ tweet was in reference to remarks Hoeness made about Lothar Matthaus in 2002. Hoeness insisted Matthaus would never return to Bayern as long as he was in charge, even as a greenkeeper.
Kroos later quote tweeted a post which showed he had completed the most passes in the final third earlier in the tournament with a caption: ‘Uli H can’t like that’.
Hoeness responded to Kroos’ reply but resisted making a further dig, tweeting: ‘We live in a democracy. Everyone can say what they want.’
Kroos replied with a reference to comments Hoeness made in the past about former Bayern Munich manager Lothar Matthaus
