Kroos: 'Enrique Substituted 'Best Player in the World' Dembélé, Who Then Cheered Teammates Against Bayern, Unlike 90% of Stars'
Former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has lauded Spanish coach Luis Enrique's approach to managing his star players at Paris Saint-Germain. Kroos highlighted the significant discipline and respect that characterize Enrique's decisions, contrasting it with some players who might act as if they are above a coach's decisions due to their star status.
Speaking on his "Luppen Tv" podcast, Kroos said: "Going back to Luis Enrique, there's another detail I believe many don't notice when watching the match (against Bayern Munich). He takes off the best player in the world after 65 minutes, and the player leaves the field naturally, with no issue. He shakes the coach's hand and sits on the bench to enthusiastically cheer on his teammates."
He continued: "There are many examples to the contrary. In a situation like this, when you take off your team's star player in the 65th minute, with the score at 1-0, and nothing bad has happened, in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final where you're playing to qualify for the final – it's not the 93rd minute, it's the 65th minute."
Kroos explained: "Why does he do that? Because he sees that the player is tired, needs a change, and that [players like] Doué and Kvaratskhelia are better at that moment. So the decision is clear: he takes him off, full stop, and no one objects. This demonstrates the level of respect the coach commands and how he has managed to build this level of trust and discipline within the team. Most importantly, he often proves his decisions are correct."
He added: "Then he takes off the best player in the world after 65 minutes, and the player, from the bench, starts motivating his teammates and shouting to encourage them, instead of acting like 90% of players who see themselves as the team's stars. They show displeasure on the field or sit on the bench with obvious annoyance, as if they are dissatisfied with the decision, like 'angry sausages'."
