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Toni Kroos: We are just Fifa and Uefa’s puppets

Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos feels that footballers are just "puppets" used by governing bodies Fifa and Uefa and are powerless in discussions about competitions such as the Nations League or a possible new European Super League.

"At the end of the day, as players we're just puppets for all these new things which are invented by Fifa and Uefa. Nobody asks us," Kroos said in his podcast Einfach mal Luppen.

Kroos, who earned his 100th cap for Germany last month, is in the squad for this morning's (Singapore time) friendly against the Czech Republic and Nations League games against Ukraine and Spain.

The 30-year-old feels if players had more say, they "wouldn't be playing in the Nations League, nor a Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, nor a Club World Cup with 20 or more teams".

Such tournaments are planned "to suck out everything financially, and, of course, physically from every single player," said the 2014 World Cup winner.

He added that the proposed European Super League risks widening the gap between the continent's elite and the rest.

"It is also good to leave certain things just as they are when they are good," he added, referring to current competitions such as the Champions League as "top products". - AFP

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