Toni Kroos acknowledges Real Madrid will struggle to replace Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals after his move to Juventus.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner sealed a sensational €112million switch to the Serie A champions in the off-season, leaving Madrid after lifting three consecutive Champions League titles.
And while midfielder Kroos is confident Madrid will be able to adapt, he acknowledges Ronaldo’s goals will particularly be missed.
“His 50 goals a season are not easy to replace,” Kroos told Kicker. “Cristiano has been an important building block in our team over the past few years and a decisive factor in our success.
Ronaldo netted 44 times in as many appearances across all competitions last season and has been the Champions League’s top goalscorer in six consecutive campaigns.
Madrid are yet to bring in a big-name replacement for the Portuguese, although teenage recruit Vinicius Junior has starred in pre-season.
Kroos is known for his passing accuracy, technique, vision and his ability to set up goals, as well as his long shots and ball delivery from set-pieces. He has been described by Jonathan Wilson as “perhaps the archetype of the modern attacking midfielder”. Wilson has also described Kroos as “dynamic and hardworking”, and has praised him for his versatility, physical strength and ability to play in several midfield positions: in addition to his usual role, he has also been used in the centre as a deep-lying playmaker, on the flank, in a box-to-box role, or even as a defensive midfielder, due to his ability to both break up play, retain possession, and create chances for teammates.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes said in 2014 that Kroos, “a top-class central midfielder”, was the player that United most needed to sign.
Former Netherlands captain Johan Cruyff said of Kroos’ performances at the 2014 World Cup, “He’s doing everything right: the pace in his passes is great and he sees everything. It’s nearly perfect.
A versatile attacker, Ronaldo is capable of playing on either wing as well as through the centre of the pitch, and, while ostensibly right-footed, is very strong with both feet.He ranks among the world’s fastest footballers, both with and without the ball.Tactically, Ronaldo has undergone several evolutions throughout his career.
While at Sporting and during his first season at Manchester United, he was typically deployed as a traditional winger on the right side of midfield, where he regularly looked to deliver crosses into the penalty area. In this position, he was able to use his pace and acceleration, agility, and technical skills to take on opponents in one-on-one situations. Ronaldo became noted for his dribbling and flair, often displaying an array of tricks and feints, such as the step overs that became his trademark.