In addition to his unmistakable quality in Real Madrid midfield, Toni Kroos is also well known for his more social side. After being part of an anti-bullying campaign on social media, The German world champion spoke of the harassment he suffered on the internet during a chat on Instagram Live with the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The footballer revealed that he was even branded a Nazi after some statements about his former teammate Mesut Özil.
“After the 2018 World Cup, I said that I did not like the ways in which Mesut Özil resigned from the national team and, then, I was directly a Nazi for many people. Blond, blue eyes, everything fit for many people”, Kroos was sincere in the conversation with the German politician, who could not believe what he was hearing. “I managed to get over it,” added the player, visibly upset.
From the point of view of the madridista, anonymity in the networks is one of the great problems of the present time and it would be necessary to try to combat it with more impetus. “Nowadays, anyone can hide behind a false profile to insult strangers without any impediment”Kroos said, addressing Steinmeier as follows: “You have probably also experienced it in the first person.” Like footballers, “politicians also polarize” and thus become the center of hatred according to Kroos.