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Toni Kroos has taken aim at the plethora of players swapping Europe for the Saudi Pro League – but he has stopped short of criticising former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez have all taken up lucrative offers from the Gulf state this summer – and the influx of talent won’t end just yet, with the Saudi Pro League’s transfer window not closing until 20 September.
And Kroos has expressed disappointment about the motivations of certain players who have headed to the Middle East in recent months.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated Deutschland, the 2014 World Cup winner explained:
“Everyone has to make this decision for themselves, such as Cristiano Ronaldo [who joined Al-Nassr in January following his departure from Manchester United], who decided to do so towards the end of his career.
“But it becomes very difficult when players who are in the middle of their careers and have the quality to play for top clubs in Europe decide to make such changes.
“And then it is said that it is an ambitious sporting decision to go there, but the truth is that it’s all about the money. In the end, it’s a decision for the money – and against football. And from there, it starts to get difficult for the football we all know and love.”
As for Kroos, who turns 34 next January, his current Real contract runs until next summer – which will mark a decade since his arrival at the Bernabeu after leaving Bayern Munich.
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