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"I've never felt so hopeless": Toni Kroos takes Real Madrid to task after the Clásico

Following El Clásico, Toni Kroos delivered a scathing assessment of his long-time club, Real Madrid.

Sunday's 2-0 loss to FC Barcelona confirms that Real Madrid will go a second consecutive campaign—and their first since Kroos' departure—without a major trophy.

"That's really hard to swallow," Kroos said on his podcast "Einfach mal Luppen," which he co-hosts with his brother Felix. "Two [defeats] is unacceptable. Full stop. That's Real's self-image. Everyone knows that." He described the sobering season as "the result of a long-standing negative atmosphere, both inside and outside the club—at every level."
He was referring to the internal conflicts that have dogged the club all season. Internal matters are constantly leaked to the media, while off-field squabbles have even escalated to a full-blown dressing-room brawl between Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde, leaving Valverde with a head injury and both players facing hefty fines. That incident symbolises the low point of Real's troubled season.

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Kroos: "I was glad when it was over."
Consequently, Kroos was "not at all" convinced that his former club could beat Barça and thus postpone their title win once again. When Marcus Rashford (9') and Ferran Torres (18') made it 2–0 early on, even the last shred of conviction vanished. "I've rarely jotted down so few notes," Kroos said, adding, "I've rarely felt so little hope. To be honest, I was glad when it was over." The second half was "reasonably even", and the contest simply petered out.
Kroos added, "Maybe they were motivated. I'm not saying they weren't. But it's just not enough—on many levels." Nevertheless, the former midfielder acknowledged that Real had put in a "decent performance" and avoided being "run ragged". He concluded, "Barcelona were content with the 2-0 cushion, and by the 60th minute everyone would have settled for the referee to blow the final whistle."
Real Madrid: New manager – and a return for Kroos?
Amid this eventful season, reports suggest another managerial change is imminent. Like predecessor Xabi Alonso, Álvaro Arbeloa has struggled to win over the squad or handle the club's star-studded roster. José Mourinho has emerged as the front-runner to replace him, with President Florentino Pérez said to back the Portuguese coach for another term.
Separately, reports have linked Toni Kroos with a return to the club in a role similar to that of Zinedine Zidane, who transitioned from player to club ambassador and then to head coach.