One of the more interesting sub-plots of the upcoming clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich involves Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez.
There’s always bound to be plenty to talk about whenever Real Madrid take on Bayern Munich. But for two players in particular, this matchup should be extra special. Bayern Munich’s James Rodriguez and Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos will both be out for victory against their former clubs.
Kroos came up in Bayern Munich’s youth system, making his first team debut for the Bavarians at the ripe age of 17. Kroos then spent a year on loan at Bayern Leverkusen, where he was coached by none other than Bayern Munich’s current coach Jupp Heynckes, before coming back to Munich. In an interview, Kroos lauds Heynckes, who coached him both at Leverkusen and later at Bayern, for helping him develop as a footballer:
Jupp Heynckes was the most important coach I had in the early stage of my career, both at Leverkusen and then in Munich too. It’s fair to say that it was after he arrived in Munich in 2011 that I started to be able to play at a high level consistently.”
Now, Kroos will be looking to win his fourth Champions League trophy against his old boss, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti midway through Munich’s season. After Kroos won his third Champions League trophy in 2017, Heynckes joked that Kroos should perhaps just hang up his boots, as he’s already won everything there is to win in world football.
Since Real Madrid purchased Kroos for a paltry 25 million, Kroos has won two Champions Leagues, a La Liga, and a host of other minor honors. These overwhelmingly positive results, combined with his initial modest price tag, lead Kroos’ agent to call Madrid’s purchase the “Bargain of the Century.” And he’s probably right.
But Kroos isn’t the only cut-rate player who will be looking to come back to haunt his former club. James Rodriguez went in the opposite direction of Kroos, going from Madrid to Bayern. The Colombian attacking phenom found himself in the Spanish capital after a standout performance at the 2014 World Cup. James had a pretty solid career at Real Madrid, consistently producing assists and key passes while also scoring a highlight reel’s worth of beautiful goals himself.
But the crowded attacking roster at Madrid along with a resurgent Cristiano Ronaldo found James surplus to requirements for Los Blancos. As I discussed at length with the good folks over at Bayern Strikes, James and Isco, both stellar No. 10’s, found themselves competing for a spot in a team that didn’t really include a true No. 10 role in its tactical schema.
As a result, James was forced to seek greener pastures. A player of his talents can’t afford to be wasting away on the bench, so you can hardly blame him for wanting to go somewhere he could get regular minutes. But what was most curious about James’ summer move to Bayern Munich is that Madrid decided to loan, rather than sell the player. The news about the loan left many Madrid fans scratching their heads, especially given the rumors that the loan deal contains an option-to-purchase that Bayern could automatically activate at the end of his spell on loan.
Given how James has been playing for Bayern, it would be surprising if they didn’t take advantage of this option to extend James’ stay at the club. James is in fine formfor the Bavarians, registering goals and assists aplenty for his new club.
Both Kroos and James will be hoping to get the better of their former clubs as the two giants of European football clash on Wednesday. The battle between the midfield greats and their former clubs is just one of many tantalizing things to watch ahead of this huge Champions League fixture.
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