Kroos talks about interview Zoff with ZDF reporter

From BZ editors

By Luca Wiecek

It would have been a moment when Tony Kroos actually could have enjoyed. Down on the lawn with the family by his side. Actually. If it hadn’t been for this interview following the big triumph.

Kroos was asked by ZDF reporter Nils Kaben if it was surprising that Real came under so much pressure in the final. A question asked with such a negative undertone from Kroos’ point of view that the ex-world champion even ended the interview prematurely. “You had 90 minutes to think of sensible questions and then you ask me two shitty questions,” the ex-world champion snapped at the reporter before leaving him with a “very bad, very bad”.

The game became a minor matter, and Kroos was suddenly caught in the crossfire of discussions. Was Kaben’s question really rude? Or did Kroos miss style on the microphone?

Brothers Felix With a wink, he was even afraid of what he should ask Real’s midfield star in his joint podcast “Einfach mal Luppen”. On Sunday, at the Bernabeu, he left it at: “Did you sleep yesterday?” This emerges from an excerpt from the current podcast episode available to this editorial team. Toni speaks after the question.

About the short night in which he slept two to three hours. But above all about the interview with Kaben. “I got up and read through some comments. It was more about the interview than the game. But that’s not bad,” said Kroos, aware of the explosive nature of his statements.

“I was just angry at the moment. I was more annoyed with himself (ZDF reporter Kaben, ed.) “, the 32-year-old continued and explained again what he had already done and was obvious to every viewer: “Of course they had that we survive two or three pressure phases, that’s what I said when I asked the question. But that’s normal. What do you expect? That we dominate Liverpool for 90 minutes? This is a world-class team. You just have to beat them and we did that.”

In the end, the Reds around coach Jürgen Klopp scored 24: 4 shots on goal, and Kroos also had to acknowledge the visual superiority. “You can ask again during the interview: ‘How did you see the game itself?’ I wouldn’t have said that we played them against the wall from the first minute to the 90th. I wouldn’t have said so,” he pointed out. “I’ll be the first to say that overall it was even and Liverpool probably even had a few more chances. But we won the game, just like in the last few months.”

Even in the quarter-finals against Manchester City, Real wasn’t necessarily the better team. However, two goals in added time and a penalty in extra time were enough to turn the game around. This time, in the final, a goal from Vinicius Junior was enough. That’s what counts for Kroos. And that’s what he thought he should have been asked about. “He (ZDF reporter Nils Kaben, ed.) He would have already received his answer. But instead this straight out: ‘I want to hear you guys deservedly won.’ I don’t give a shit in the final, you have to win that,” Kroos clarified.

But the topic should not be over with that. At midnight the whole episode “Einfach mal Luppen” will appear, which should probably mainly deal with the finale. Since 2020, Toni and brother Felix have been discussing the latest developments in sport and at Kroos on a weekly basis in the podcast. Now the iconic interview, to which the other side also spoke.

In an interview with “Spiegel”, Kaben commented on the minutes with Kroos. After consultation with colleagues, he “came to the very clear conclusion that a player shouldn’t behave like that. As a journalist, I would have had to behave badly so that the interview guest just left.” He admitted that he could have worded his question better, but still expected respect from his counterpart.

The relationship between Kaben and Kroos is probably not permanently disturbed. “I think Toni Kroos and I will exchange three sentences about it the next time we meet. And then it’s good again,” said the ZDF reporter.

Kroos also let it be known that he was not resentful.