Ancelotti, who spent several years at Real Madrid as assistant coach to his father, Carlo, has offered a detailed explanation of what Real Madrid lost when Toni Kroos retired, arguing that the midfielder combined qualities that cannot simply be reproduced by signing another player.
For Ancelotti, vertical football is not simply about filling a team with runners. It requires a player capable of recognising those movements and supplying them.
“I like vertical football,” he said. “To play vertically you need someone who knows how to put the ball in. Vertical doesn’t mean having eight runners, it also means having someone who can throw them. It’s a game idea.”
That was central to his assessment of Kroos. Asked how Madrid could survive the German’s departure, Ancelotti’s answer was blunt: “You lose something you will never get back.”
He went further when asked what Madrid had lost, calling Kroos “the best player in the world in his position” and insisting there was no point trying to find another version of him.
“You can’t say ‘I need another Kroos’, because there isn’t one,” he said.
Davide Ancelotti told AS that Kroos’ value went beyond his passing. The midfielder controlled the rhythm of matches, deciding when to accelerate and when to slow the game, while also contributing defensively.
“He was the owner of the party. He took over the rhythm. He played what he wanted,” Ancelotti said. “I decided, and it was essential, because I managed the pace of the game for you.”
He also highlighted a less obvious part of Kroos’ contribution, pointing out that the German covered ground despite his reputation as a controller.
“And then, on top of that, he ran. He was an 11-kilometre player per game. And he knew how to defend, he had tactical sense.”
The relationship between the two was also important to Ancelotti. He said he spoke regularly with Kroos about football and found his thinking challenging and useful as a coach.
“He is a very intelligent guy. It’s challenging, it makes you think. He always has an interesting point of view on things. It improved you as a coach. It was a shame he left.”
Ancelotti was also asked whether Rodri could have fitted into Madrid’s midfield. His answer was unequivocal: “Rodri would fit anywhere.”
But he rejected the idea that Madrid need to find a direct replacement for Kroos. The challenge, he argued, is to find a new balance, with or without the Manchester City midfielder.
His assessment of Kroos was clear: Madrid did not simply lose a midfielder when he left; it lost a player who could dictate an entire match.