The 76 Saudi boos to Toni Kroos | Soccer | Sports | EUROtoday

The shock early on Wednesday night time in Riyadh was the substitution of Toni Kroos in favor of Luka Modric. “They are very, very, very complicated decisions,” Carlo Ancelotti later admitted, who additionally referred to the German participant’s latest discomfort. But at the moment, already within the early hours of the morning after the 5-3 further time win towards Atlético, the problem surrounding the German midfielder was not a soccer challenge, however a political one. He had given 76 passes within the hour he remained on the grass and had obtained 76 boos from the general public that stuffed the Al Awwal Park stadium, with a capability for 25,000 spectators.

This unfastened verse of soccer had his registration caught after his harsh criticism of the arrival of many gamers from the European elite to the Saudi League within the warmth of petrodollars. They did not forgive him a single factor since he appeared within the 67th minute as an alternative of the Croatian and he did not appear to care both: “It was a fun day. Incredible crowd,” he wrote as quickly because the assembly ended on his social media.

The nation’s written press ignored the unanimous reprimand of the midfielder whereas in Madrid they obtained the whistles with out drama. “What about Kroos is understood by his position on Saudi Arabia’s money in his League, of which he was very critical. “What surprised Beckenbauer was the whistles,” said a club source with access to the locker room, referring to the censorship that was also heard during the minute of silence for the death of the German legend.

The reaction of the public in the Al-Nassr stadium with the German midfielder caught the attention of the West, but also of members of Saudi football. “We were surprised. We were watching the game and, at first, we didn’t know why it was going. I had not seen any online campaign against Kroos. We understood that it was because of his criticism of the country,” says an individual on situation of anonymity who shares a crew sales space with many native individuals.

The networks in Saudi Arabia dominate the street-level debate around football. The marking on the man is severe. “Here the people, more than the press, are from Twitter [actual X] and Snapchat. They are very powerful. There is quite a demand and it is advisable to be very careful with exposure,” warns a person with several years of experience in football in the country. A social control of footballers and coaches for their work on the field that is combined with the poor response of the Saudi authorities to criticism from abroad.

Toni Kroos (34 years old), a peculiar guy who goes beyond the commonplaces of timid football to express his own ideas, has spoken at will in recent times about the enormous investment of the Arab world in football as a way of projecting itself. to the world and wash his image. “Going to Arabia is a decision for money and against football. The footballers have to make that decision for themselves, like Cristiano, who did it in the final stage. But it becomes very difficult when players in the middle of their careers and with enough quality to be in the best clubs, decide to accept those transfers,” he said in an interview in Sports Illustrated. “The lack of human rights is what would prevent me from going there,” she stated at another time.

Surprise in Germany for Beckenbauer

The German’s battery of statements is extensive and the Saudi public took note. In Doha (Qatar), you can also remember the middle. “Immigrant workers are subjected to non-stop days under 50 degrees, they suffer from insufficient food, without drinking water and crazy temperatures,” he denounced in his podcast with his brother Félix, a personal initiative that helps explain the unique profile of this midfielder. , born in 1990 on the other side of the Berlin Wall. Also to manage his sports career. His childhood was dedicated to soccer, sometimes even more than attending class, but since he turned 30 he has been announcing that he is not a typical player who will spend forever on the fields. In the summer he renewed for a season and it is still unknown what he will do in June.

If the whistles against Kroos drew attention in Spain, the boos during the minute of silence for the death of Beckenbauer were surprising in Germany, a country where there has been a harsh rejection of the aggressive plan of the Arab world to achieve the celebration of major events. and the hiring of football figures. On Sunday, in the Super Cup final, Kroos’s foreseeable presence on the field will once again raise the censure of the local fans who do not forgive him for his words.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes in Facebook y Xclick here to receive our weekly newsletter.

_