Toni Kroos and his brother, Felix, fell in love with Newcastle United following the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in August.
Felix Kroos has described Newcastle as a “beautiful city with charm” after attending the Tyne-Wear derby.
Newcastle United supporters were amazed in August when Kroos and his brother - Real Madrid and Germany legend Toni - declared themselves as Toon fans. The duo expressed their awe at the Magpies and the St James’ Park atmosphere following the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.
They paid a special mention to Dan Burn and immediately bought Newcastle memberships, promising to attend a game before the end of the season. As reported by The Gazette, both Kroos brothers were initially expected to travel to Tyneside for the clash against Sunderland.
Toni had other commitments, but Felix - who played for Werder Bremen and Union Berlin - documented the trip for their podcast. While the result did not go Newcastle’s way, the 35-year-old opened up about his first experience on Tyneside.
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Kroos brothers confused by Geordie accent
Toni, after listening to a clip of Felix speaking to Newcastle fans, was left confused by the Geordie accent. He said: “How can I imagine Newcastle as a city? Is this really such a deep (part of) England?
“Because all the people I've heard now, the English, let’s say, is not fine English, not Harvard English. I have also had to deal with a lot of Brits in the world of football. Whether that's a Jude (Bellingham), (Gareth) Bale or whatever. In any case, that's (Geordie) another accent I've not heard so far in these excerpts.”
Felix admitted that he had difficulty when acclimatising to the local lingo. He replied: “Yeah, you have to be focused. Once you get there, you need a little bit (of effort to understand), especially when they talk so fast.
“Sometimes it depends on the guy. When someone knows that you are from abroad then they make an effort to be a little clearer. And then there are those who speak the way we speak.
“But what you have to say very clearly is that it is simply a working-class city. So the football club is the religion. And you can tell in every sentence they say.”
‘The city is beautiful’ - Felix Kroos
The younger Kroos brother was also left surprised by Newcastle’s architecture and the friendliness of the locals. He added: “It was very good weather. For them it was summer. So it was 15 degrees and sunny. This was really summer for them.
“But there was always something going on, it wasn't a dead city or anything. There was real life in it. Many pubs, clubs. That was really cool and also cool buildings. I must say, I think the city is very beautiful. This is not said for effect, but Newcastle is impressive.
“Beautiful buildings, also a bit crooked partly, but that's not bad. It has charm. I think you can live there, that it is underestimated. But the people are totally cordial.”
‘We’ll stick to it’ - Kroos brothers not going anywhere
The brothers were not dismayed by the Sunderland defeat and plan to continue their support for the Magpies. Felix said: “The game itself was from our side, I'm talking about Newcastle, was very sobering.
“Of course, you stay even after bad games. In bad phases, you remain a member, you remain a fan. That's clear. If you expect a delicious bit now, then you will certainly go home disillusioned. But we have to go back to the beginning of why we were there in the first place.
“That was the game against Liverpool. That was the yardstand why we have now travelled there. But like I said, we'll stick to it. We remain members. We are also there in difficult times. I would like to say that we send our best regards to Newcastle and all of the people who really welcomed us there. That was very nice.”
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