Kroos Mocks Flick: "Real Madrid's Winning Mentality Would Laugh at His Approach"

Ex-Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has revealed that Hansi Flick's rigid time-keeping policies would have been met with ridicule at the Bernabeu due to cultural differences in approach.

Flick, now at the helm of Barcelona, has had an outstanding first season in La Liga, securing three domestic honors including the league championship, following Xavi's challenging 2023-24 tenure.

The German tactician implemented a high-pressing defensive strategy that, despite showing some inexperience during their dramatic Champions League semifinal elimination, undeniably contributed to Flick's successful inaugural campaign.

Following a particularly difficult previous season, Flick's immediate success stemmed from establishing strict discipline within the team. The former Bayern Munich manager was particularly adamant about punctuality, with both Jules Koundé and Iñaki Peña being excluded from matches earlier this year after arriving late.

During a recent podcast episode with his brother, Kroos highlighted these incidents involving Koundé and Peña at Barcelona, explaining that such stringent rules were never enforced during his time with Real Madrid.

"They're different philosophies," Kroos said. "At Real Madrid, they would have laughed. Many times you didn"t know who was late, the player or the coach. It's a different mentality, not letting someone play because they're five minutes late to a meeting."

Throughout much of his career in Madrid, Kroos played under the more relaxed leadership styles of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, both of whom achieved considerable success during their respective managerial periods. Kroos is, of course, familiar with Flick from their time together with Germany's national squad.

Kroos maintained that both Barcelona manager's more authoritative approach and the management styles of the Madrid coaches are "fine" in their own right, describing Flick's method as the "typical German mentality."

As Los Blancos look to bounce back following a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, it remains to be seen where Xabi Alonso will position himself on the discipline spectrum.