Kroos: “There’s always a special feeling in a Clasico”

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos spoke about the “special feeling” of El Clasico in Madrid in an interview via MARCA.

“It’s always there. There is a ‘feeling’, a special feeling when more important matches arrive and it has also been noticed this season, but as always. I remember many matches at the Bernabeu in the last 8 years, as champions league quarters and semis, and the fans have given us a lot of energy. A match like Sunday’s, a Clasico, is also a final. I remember very well the Clasico 2 years ago because after we played a year and a half without fans, and it was a special game that we won with two goals in the second half. Hopefully they’ll help us on Sunday as well.”

He was also called to reflect on his own Clasico experiences, as Sunday will be the veteran midfielder’s 20th appearance. He recalled his first Clasico and how it has been engrained in his memory and career since.

“It’s still special. It always has been. I remember very well my first Clasico here, in 2014, a 3-1. The first Clasico you always remember, more if you win it. It shows a lot in the team and outside how important this game is, and we are going with a lot of motivation. You just have to see how many people watch the Clasico in the world. That says it all. Everyone is looking forward to this game every season and so are we. Sometimes important players come out of one team and the other, but a Madrid-Barcelona team is always going to be special.”

Kroos finished with a preview of Sunday’s match and that he believes Real Madrid must work on the fine details to defeat a streaking Barcelona, who has won its last four straight matches.

“El Clásico is going to mark it a little bit the way we have on that day, because you can’t say that one team has less quality than the other. They are two very good teams, and it always depends a little bit on the day. In the tactical aspect, the idea we have is going to be very important, of course, but many times these matches are decided by the details. On our part we have to continue as we are doing, play very serious knowing how important this game is, apart from for the League, for our fans. You have to prepare well, defend very seriously and up we will always do something, but these games are marked by the details, and you can’t know what’s going to happen.”