Toni Kroos names Ousmane Dembele as the best player in world football
Former Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has named Paris St-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele as the best player in the world, while appearing to take a thinly veiled swipe at his old club.
The retired 34-year-old made the comments on his podcast following a recent Champions League clash between the French champions and Bayern Munich.
Praising the collective spirit fostered by manager Luis Enrique in the French capital, the five-time Champions League winner singled out the exemplary attitude of their marquee winger.
The 2014 World Cup winner was particularly impressed by how the forward reacted to being substituted after 65 minutes of a crucial European tie.
Praise for collective spirit
“Enrique takes off the best player in the world after 65 minutes, and Dembele shakes his hand and encourages his team-mates,” Kroos said.
“You see how he shouts to his team-mates from the bench, unlike the other players who think they are the stars of their teams.”
The ex-midfielder explained that Enrique felt comfortable replacing his star attacker because attacking colleagues Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were performing better on the night.
The former Bayern prodigy noted that the 27-year-old actively encouraged his team to move forward rather than pouting on the sidelines.
“And not like 90 percent of the others who think they are the stars of their teams: starting to make gestures on the field and then sitting on the bench like a sulking sausage,” he added.
A pointed message to Madrid
These blunt remarks come amid mounting speculation regarding disharmony within the dressing room at the Bernabeu.
Reports from the Spanish capital suggest tensions are rising following a spectacular falling out between Madrid midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Further rumours indicate growing unrest surrounding Kylian Mbappe, with the France captain allegedly displaying a self-centred attitude both on and off the pitch.
By contrasting the harmonious environment at the Parc des Princes with the ego-driven behaviour of other top stars, Kroos appears to be sending a clear message to his former employers.