Bellingham admits to ‘missing’ Toni Kroos

After the 3-1 win over Stuttgart in the first round of the Champions League group stage, Jude Bellingham admitted that Real are having to adapt and find a new way of playing after Toni Kroos retired.

“Real have a new look,” Bellingham said after the match. “We’ve changed a few things. Not having Kroos is a big loss in terms of tempo and the way we play. Kroos is a special player and irreplaceable. We have to find different ways to.”

Kroos did not renew his contract with Real and retired after playing for Germany at Euro 2024. The midfielder was signed for around $30 million in the summer of 2014, scoring 28 goals in 465 games, winning four La Liga, one Copa del Rey, four Spanish Super Cups, five Champions Leagues, four European Super Cups and five FIFA Club World Cups with Real.