“What didn't he bring to the League?” – The former manager of Real Madrid full of praise for the departure of Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos resigned from La Liga on Saturday evening, making his final league appearance for Real Madrid before retiring this summer. Real Betis were the bridesmaids at the Santiago Bernabeu, although they managed to escape with a 0-0 draw after a spirited display.

Speaking after the match, Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini – who managed Los Blancos during the 2009-10 season – paid tribute to Kroos, saying the German midfielder's mastery had a massive impact on Spanish football – quotes via AS Diary.

“The question is: what Kroos didn't bring to the League? Titles, quality… It's a shame that he doesn't continue. The League loses a high-level player, but it took this decision.”

With the Real Betis season now over, Pellegrini also reflected on the campaign as a whole, which he considers a partial success.

“The overall balance of the campaign is good, because we qualified for Europe for the fourth year in a row. We wanted to go to the Europa League, but we went to the Conference in a difficult year in terms of injuries and finances. I think that was a good season.”