John Obi Mikel and Toni Kroos rarely faced each other on the pitch
Toni Kroos was unhappy with fake quotes from John Obi Mikel
Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has responded to a fake quote circulating from former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on Instagram. The former Nigeria international was reported to have named himself as a better midfielder than Kroos during their respective careers.
Kroos posted on his Instagram story, responding to a post in which it was claimed that Mikel said the difference between them was that one was opportune to play for Real Madrid. In his response, the former German midfielder questioned why the Nigerian failed to make it to Los Blancos in his career.
"So why didn't you play for Real Madrid?", he asked on his Instagram story.
In the fake quotes, Mikel was said to have questioned the quality of World Cup winner Kroos, stating that he had more quality than the German. The quotes also included swipes at several other Los Blancos stars, particularly those who won the UEFA Champions League six times with the club.
The former Chelsea man has since debunked the viral quotes as he gets on with his life as a pundit on his ObiOne podcast. He enjoyed a decent top-level career in which he played for Chelsea for over a decade, making over 300 appearances and winning several titles.
John Obi Mikel was Man of the Match against Kroos' Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final of 2012 for his sole Champions League title. The German went on to win the competition the following year with Bayern before moving to Los Blancos, where he won the trophy five more times.
Nigeria coach reveals Real Madrid ambition
Nigeria's senior men's national team coach Eric Chelle has revealed that he harbours dreams of one day coaching Real Madrid. The Malian national led the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the AFCON last month, earning plaudits for the quality shown by his side throughout the competition.
Former Valenciennes player Chelle spoke with RMC Sport about his ambition in coaching, revealing his lofty dream. He expressed his wish to become the first African man to coach the Spanish giants in his career.
“My dream is to become the first African coach to manage Real Madrid", he said (via Vanguard).
Eric Chelle has worked with the senior men's national team of Mali, as well as several club teams, most recently Algerian club side MC Oran. He has worked with Nigeria's Super Eagles since 2025, and remains contracted to the team until 2027.