Toni Kroos has explained himself more than ever in a rare and extensive choral interview born of a run-in with a journalist.

At the end of the Champions League final in Paris, the German Nils Kaben, from the ZDF channel, asked the footballer some questions, and things did not end well.

The journalist took the path trodden these days by Xavi Hernández on the merit of the victory: “It was not so obvious when watching the game”.

And then: "Were you surprised that Madrid was in so much trouble?"

Kroos burst out: "You've had 90 minutes and two fucking questions come to mind."

And he left.

Journalist Oliver Wurm came up with an idea: give 90 people 90 days to ask Kroos a question.

People like Klopp, Beckenbauer, Lewandowski, Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Robbie Williams asked him questions, and in the answers there are many keys to understanding the player.

1. The comebacks

“Zidane always underlined the following: 'We have to learn to suffer.

If it's not hard for us to suffer, we'll have a good

of winning'.

And it is that at this level, there will always be situations in which you have to accept that you will be a worse team than the rival.

(...) In the first leg of the semi-final with Manchester City in 2022, we could have easily lost 1-10.

But we lost 3-4.

When City scored 1-0 in the second leg, everyone gave us up for lost.

But we are always capable of generating situations that give us new life and give life to the stadium, and leave the rival thinking.

And more if you manage to do it over and over again.

(...) If all this happens, even a team as prestigious as City begins to think: 'There are these again...'.

2. The public at the Bernabéu

“Our public is very demanding, and with each achievement expectations increase.

But at the same time it is a very expert audience.

They often applaud actions that in a German stadium are registered with indifference.

Some combination in the center of the field, a good opening to the opposing pressure, things like that.

The stadium makes good sense for spotting decisive phases of a match.

And that generates a collective feeling that encompasses everyone: 'We will solve this together'.

3. The football of the future

“If I think about the next 10, 15 years, I see it with concern.

The clubs are looking for players with a different profile.

They wonder: Is it fast?

Is big?

Is strong?

And only then do they ask themselves: Does he know how to touch the ball?

All teams need those types of players to succeed, but I'm worried that this trend is gaining the hand and that the game ends up reflecting that.

4. Your ideal position

“At Leverkusen I played inside left-handed, almost as a winger.

At Bayern, Louis Van Gaal saw me as a 10. What happened was that his number 10 had the mission of stepping into the area, helping the strikers, creating spaces and fixing the opponent.

He wants the 10 to be on the opposite side of the ball.

But I wanted the ball and not run away from it!

That's why it didn't work.

For a while I was a midfielder.

Guardiola placed me in lane number 8, which is where I feel the best, to this day.

In the left 8 lane, with a good defensive midfielder by my side, and with a certain tendency to go down.

Because I like to pick up the ball well back, even if I have an idea of ​​attacking football”.

5. The Bermuda Triangle

“I think that the constellation that has occurred in Madrid is what has come closest to what I would call perfect complements.

Because in the core there was everything.

Casemiro had a clear mission: clear the center.

And Luka and I are two players who don't shy away from defensive tasks.

On the other hand, we represented a lot of football, control, a game turned upside down, with many special moments.

Our defensive and offensive settings were pretty perfect.

(...) We went out on the court with the certainty that we didn't have to talk much to each other to do it well.

Yes, playing with Casemiro and Modric was pretty close to perfection."

6. Against the World Cup in Qatar

“I am totally against the World Cup being played in Qatar.

Designating that country was a mistake by the federations.

But it would seem wrong to me to expect the players not to play in the World Cup”.

7. The only hobby

“I don't have any superstitions, or tics like putting on my left boot first or jumping onto the pitch with my right foot, which are quite common in the world of football.

The only thing that comes close is that I put a bandage on my ring finger, because I'm used to wearing a ring.

That is to say: I do not cover the ring, but I replace the ring with a plaster.

Without a ring I feel naked.”

8. The negotiation to go to Madrid

“I still remember how Uli Hoeness approached me in the catacombs of the stadium and snapped at me in his very emotional way: 'What your advisor is asking for is absolutely cheeky.

Let's see if you lower it to the ground'.

I was barely 23 years old.

And I told him: 'It's not what my advisor asks for.

We ask for it.

And that will not change', We all know Uli.

But I have to admit that in that situation, I did need eggs.”

9. The reforms he proposes for football

“I find time penalties more effective than yellow cards.

Playing inferior in the last minutes of the game hurts.

Why not expel for five minutes the one who only wastes time?

We could also consider gradual expulsions for fouls: the referee could expel a player for five, ten or fifteen minutes, depending on the violence of the infraction.

What I would also like would be the introduction of a net game time.

60 minutes!".

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