So many Real Madrid greats have gone on to become managers – and highly successful ones, at that. The most famous example has to be Zinedine Zidane, who was one of the faces of the Galacticos era and inspired a generation of Real Madrid superstars, like Jude Bellingham. He went on to become the best manager in the world, accomplishing the unprecedented feat of winning three straight Champions League titles.
Another great of the Galacticos era, Raul, is currently a manager for Real Madrid at the youth level and has generated significant coaching interest from the Bundesliga, where he spent two seasons with Schalke.
Raul was highly respected in Germany, scoring 28 goals in two seasons after he had already turned 33. Schalke, to this day, are aggressively pursuing the Spanish icon to help rescue them from the throes of the lower leagues.
More recently, two key figures in the side that won La Decima have become coaching. Alvaro Arbeloa is a potential future Real Madrid manager, based on his impressive accomplishments for Real Madrid as a youth coach. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is already one of the best in the world and favored as Carlo Ancelotti‘s successor, having won the Bundesliga while undefeated last season as Bayer Leverkusen’s new coach.
Next up could be Toni Kroos. The Real Madrid center midfielder just retired in 2024, leaving the game on top his game as a LaLiga and Champions League winner, with many believing he should have received more Ballon d’Or love over Manchester City star Rodri.
According to a report from Relevo, Kroos is keeping his options open for the future, but he has already applied for RFEF’s UEFA B football course, which is the first step necessary in order to pursue management.
Although Kroos reportedly remains unsure if he will pursue coaching, many fans have always speculated that he would be a great coach. As Owen Hargreaves and many others have pointed out, midfielders tend to make great managers – look at Zidane, Ancelotti, Alonso, and Pep Guardiola as prime examples.
Kroos was a coach on the field for Real Madrid, famously exemplifying this with a game-winning pass against Antonio Rudiger at the death of a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk after pointing to the German center back exactly which spot to run to.
Having retired at the age of 34 with plenty left in the tank, Kroos is someone who clearly doesn’t need football to exist and wants to enjoy his life. But selfishly, it would be glorious to watch Toni give it a go in coaching with his endless knowledge, candid demeanor, and genuine love for the game.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.