Toni Kroos has praised Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and revealed how impressed he was with the club before putting pen to paper on his six-year contract at the Bernabeu.
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Kroos was linked with a move away from Bayern Munich throughout last season, with Manchester United strongly rumoured to be tracking him. But it was Real Madrid who came to the front of the queue in May and completed a reported 25 million-euro deal after Kroos won the World Cup with Germany.
"Right from the beginning, I realised that Ancelotti wanted me," he told Sport Bild. "He is pleasant and relaxed. And when it comes to football he's a terrific coach because he has experienced so much. His training is really good, and I get a kick out of it. But when we play he wants to win, he's fully focused on that."
Kroos has played in various positions and formations in his career, and reiterated that all he wants is "to play in the middle."
"I can play three positions. The No. 5, the No. 8, and just like at the World Cup at times the No. 10," he explained. "I am never nervous, never shaking. That's the way I was made. I am convinced of my qualities, because I know I can access my potential in special moments.
"I know that when it doesn't run in our favour, that you don't lose more than just a football match. That's why I am very relaxed. And yet always focused, because, indeed, results matter to me."