Toni Kroos Is Hardly Xavi’s Heir; Nor Is He Xabi Alonso’s Heir

Earlier this week, during an interview with Sports Bild, Xavi named Toni Kroos his successor on the pitch. While intended as a compliment, I couldn’t help but feel confused by the statement. Here are my thoughts on Toni Kroos being anyone’s heir:

Yes. You read that title right.

For most of us who follow soccer religiously, the title makes perfect sense. But for some of you, it probably seems confusing.

Not Xavi nor Xabi.

Why is one different from the other? Both names are pronounced exactly the same, with only a letter changing. Even a quick Google search brings up pretty similar descriptions: Spanish Midfielder who played for one of the top clubs in Spain and won the 2010 World Cup.

But the similarities stop there. Both players play in the same area of the field but offered massively different skill sets. Xavi was the engine that made the attack tick. He offered dribbling prowess, some of the best short distance passing of the last decade, and high work rates.

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Xabi Alonso, on the other hand, offered the then-traditional midfielder qualities: better defensive capabilities thanks to his superior height and strength, vision in the form of long passes, and an overall commanding presence from the halfway line back.

When Xavi said that Toni Kroos was his successor on the pitch earlier this week, many of us weren’t sure how to react. Should we be proud that Kroos had been praised by one of the best midfielders of his generation? Should we scoff at the comments of an aging football player who might just be attempting to stay relevant? And of course, many of us thought “haven’t we heard this before?”

That final question itched at me. After doing some research, it turns out that Xabi Alonso made the same claim back in 2014 when Kroos joined Real Madrid! At least back then it made sense. The German had just joined Los Blancos after a swap transfer sent Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich, and was coming into his own after winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Comparing Kroos to Xabi Alonso and Xavi

At a glance, Toni Kroos has become Xabi Alonso’s true heir.

Although Toni doesn’t have the highest work rates, he’s essential to the team. He’s as commanding as Xabi Alonso was in his heyday and can place those sweet long passes better than anyone. He also happens to play for the same team, which makes the comparison natural. After all, Xavi played for Barcelona, Real Madrid’s arch rivals.

“Kroos is like an engine in the Real Madrid game. Because of the way he plays, he reminds me a lot of myself – he is my successor in that position.”

So why would Xavi choose to name Toni Kroos his heir on the pitch?

Taking Xavi’s comment a little more seriously, you could argue that he’s his heir as the player that made everything tick. Toni Kroos has been essential in Real Madrid’s attack, much like Xavi was for Barcelona.

Back when Pep was the manager for the Blaugrana, all any casual Barca fan could talk about was Lionel Messi and Iniesta, forgetting that without Xavi, the tiki-taka system didn’t work. Kroos finds himself in the same uncomfortable situation.

With players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and more recently Isco, it’s easy to forget that Toni Kroos is the Real Madrid player with the most assists to his name this season. His versatility is almost always forgotten by the casual viewer, but the fact that he can play everything from a defensive midfielder to a wide midfielder, and even a classic #10 (his position of choice at Bayern Munich) is no easy feat.

Lately, it feels like everyone is someone’s “heir.” Neymar is supposed to be Pele’s heir and Mbappe is supposed to be Thierry Henry’s heir. But Toni Kroos shouldn’t be considered anyone’s heir.

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The fact of the matter is that Toni Kroos is about to enter his best days as a footballer and is likely about to become one of (if not the best) midfielder of his generation. Toni Kroos isn’t Xavi’s heir. nor is he Xabi’s heir. He’s about to become his own beast, and that’s ok. Maybe in a couple of years, we’ll be naming someone “Toni Kroos’ heir”.