Toni Kroos appears to have sent a message to Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui, who has insisted on playing him as a sole defensive midfielder at times this season.
Kroos formed one of the most formidable midfield trios in Europe under former boss Zinedine Zidane, alongside teammates Casemiro and Luka Modric, as Madrid won La Liga once and the Champions League three times under the Frenchman.
Under new Madrid boss Lopetegui Kroos has been a regular starter for Real this season, playing in seven of their eight La Liga games this season.
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However, the Spaniard has opted to deploy the German in a more defensive capacity at times this season, most notably in Madrid‘s 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao earlier in the season.
It appears that the German World Cup winner doesn’t see himself in this role in the future, saying he is “not a Casemiro“, as reported by ESPN.
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“And [for Germany] Josh [Kimmich] played really good twice. That’s a good model for the future, one I could get used to.”
Kroos remains convinced Germany can turn around their fortunes following a disappointing World Cup campaign that saw them fall victim to the winner’s curse and exit the competition at the group stage.
He added: “It’s a challenge to turn things around. We have shown at Real that we can do it. There have always been phases like that. I am not worried.”
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“There will always be different opinions. Some might argue you should retire after a big success and others that the best time is after a big defeat. New stimuli can come from the same coach if he questions himself. Low did that. I am convinced that we can turn the corner.”