Kroos about Vinicius: It seemed like the whole team was affected by his behavior

Toni Kroos has never been one to mince his words, and that has continued with his recent comments about former Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior.

Vinicius’s on-field behaviour has been the subject of much discussion in recent years, and this has come into sharper focus recently following his reaction to being substituted during El Clasico. Carlo Ancelotti recently gave the 24-year-old some advice, and now Kroos has done the same, sharing his personal experiences playing alongside the Brazilian winger, according to MD.

“I often told him to stop because it seemed to me that the whole team was being affected by his behavior. It is understandable that for the opponents, the referees, even the opposing fans it can be too much. As a team, we felt that things were going against us because of this. Many times I tried to calm him down on the pitch, just to keep him focused, because at times he would lose control. I kept telling him: ‘Vinicius, you are very good. You don’t need all this.’”

Interestingly, Vinicius has shown signs of calming down on the pitch in the weeks since the incident with Xabi Alonso during El Clasico, as he was not affected by the abuse from the fans in the goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano before the international break. Real Madrid will be hoping that their number seven continues on this path, as it could help him return to his best form – at least if we take Kroos’ comments into account.

There’s no doubt that the last 12-18 months have been quite frustrating for Vinicius, and the first few months of this season have followed the same path. However, he will be hoping to improve his form in the coming weeks.