Speaking during an Icon League broadcast in Germany, Kroos was emphatic about the shift in hierarchy at the Bernabeu. The former midfield conductor, who shared the pitch with Valverde 187 times between 2017 and 2024, sees his former apprentice as the man now holding the team together. "Since then, he's been flying across the pitches. It's truly brutal what he's playing at the moment. Valverde has carried the team on his back. I hope it lasts a long time, because I have a very good relationship with him and he's my friend."