Toni Kroos: Real Madrid president motivates players to stay hungry after trophies

Kroos dismissed the idea that success is driven by emotional speeches or dressing-room rituals.

Instead, as quoted by MARCA, he pointed to a far subtler but powerful influence: the words of club president Florentino Perez the day after victory.

According to Kroos, the message is immediate and clear - attention shifts swiftly from celebration to the next objective. The former midfielder, who won five Champions League titles with Madrid, emphasised that satisfaction is never allowed to turn into comfort.

"I was hungry until the very end. Also, when you won the Champions League, the next day the president would tell you to go for the next one," he said during Semana Blanca at Ciudad Real Madrid, in an event moderated by Emilio Butragueno and featuring Sergio Scariolo, as quoted by MARCA.

"You can enjoy it for a few hours until the following day, when you hear from the president: 'Very good, and we will see each other here again next year, in the same place and with the same trophy.' This may seem silly, but it does not let you relax."

His reflections underline a culture where complacency is actively avoided, and constant pressure fuels continued ambition.

Kroos, widely seen as embodying these principles throughout his career, believes this mindset is central to Madrid's enduring dominance. 

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