'There are no poor people in football' - Toni Kroos on 'poor footballers' playing 11 months a year

The 35-year-old former German midfielder told Italian journalists that "those who play football do what they love and earn a lot of money, so there are no poor people."

Retired for over a year after winning the Champions League and La Liga title with Real Madrid, Toni Kroos remains keenly attuned to the game. He offers a perspective on the growing criticism surrounding FIFA's introduction of new competitions scheduled during players' typical off-season.

The legendary Real Madrid number eight, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, via GSP, was asked about the extreme demands placed on players this season.

"Don't tell me about 'poor footballers'! There are no poor people in football. Those who play do what they love and make a lot of money, so there are no poor people!"

"But I appreciate quality, and to maintain the quality of matches, players need to be fresh. They need to be well both physically and mentally, and that's increasingly difficult. I used to say this when I was playing, and my opinion hasn't changed: we play too much."

Kroos agreed with the Footballers' Union: "Nobody asks the players their opinion, so there's more money and less rest. This has two consequences: more injuries, which we've been seeing for a while, and a decrease in the quality of matches, as well as player motivation."

And it can't be any other way, because you can't always have the same level of focus and interest if you play 11 months in a row. That's why I don't like these new tournaments, like the Club World Cup or the Nations League. Too little rest, too little vacation.

Asked how Real Madrid will cope without him, the 2014 World Cup winner said, "I'm not coming back, and they know that. It's true that they're missing a player of my profile. The club is still looking. The problem is, there aren't many players like that, and those who are available aren't easy to acquire."

Toni Kroos admitted he doesn't feel envious seeing former Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric still playing at 40 and 39, respectively, while he retired at 34: "There isn't just one path in life. We each choose our own, and that's fine. I always believed I would retire at the top."

My last season was one of the best of my career. I won La Liga and the Champions League with Madrid, and I had an excellent Euro with Germany. It was the perfect time. I didn't want to get into that dynamic of playing less, coming off the bench more, living with pain."

You see your body no longer functions as it used to... Some players accept a different role in the team, and if they continue to enjoy football, perfect, good for them! I'm working more than before. I've opened a football school for kids, and I'm there all day. Then I have many other projects, the podcast, the foundation, etc."