"If that's what they think on the sporting front, keep it up" - Toni Kroos aims dig at Bayern Munich after Julian Nagelsmann sacking

Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has taken shots at his former club Bayern Munich for sacking Julian Nagelsmann. He believes the Bundesliga club's management have not stuck by their word.

Bayern Munich made a shock decision last week and sacked Nagelsmann despite losing just three matches this season. They replaced him with Thomas Tuchel, who has been without a job since Chelsea sacked him in September.

Speaking at a press conference, Kroos claimed that Bayern Munich's management was not heading in the right direction. He said:

"Nagelsmann's sacking? If that's what they think on the sporting front, keep it up. For a moment, they made you believe how supportive they were. What happened was not normal. The way the Bayern Munich management is dealing is not good. They were saying they would support Nagelsmann because it is a long-term project, and the opposite happened."

Kroos has been linked with a move back to Bayern Munich, with his contract at Real Madrid expiring this summer.

Why did Bayern Munich sack Julian Nagelsmann?

Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn claimed that the management were worried about the performances in 2023. He added that they were afraid that the club's goals, both short-term and long-term, were under threat.

He said in a press conference in which they were unveiling Thomas Tuchel:

"When we signed Julian Nagelsmann for FC Bayern in the summer of 2021, we were convinced we would work with him on a long-term basis — and that was the goal of all of us right up to the end. Julian shares our aspiration to play successful and attractive football. But now we have come to the conclusion that the quality in our squad - despite the Bundesliga title last year - has come to the fore less and less often."

The 53-year-old added:

"After the World Cup we have played less successfully and less attractively. The big fluctuations in performance have cast doubt on our goals for this season, but also our goals for the future. That is why we have acted now."

Reports in BILD suggested Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Joao Cancelo, and Sadio Mane were against the manager and wanted him gone.