Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has firmly denied making disparaging remarks about Toni Kroos after a viral social media exchange triggered debate among football supporters, describing the quote attributed to him as fabricated.
The controversy began when comments circulated online claiming the former midfielder had labelled Kroos an “average” player during his time at Real Madrid CF.
The remarks spread rapidly across social platforms, prompting Kroos — recently retired from international football — to repost the alleged quote on Instagram alongside a pointed caption questioning why Obi had never played for the Spanish club.
The exchange quickly gained traction, dividing supporters and fuelling discussion about the credibility of the comments.
However, Obi later addressed the situation directly on his media platform, explaining that the statement attributed to him was false and stemmed from misinformation.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the former midfielder rejected the claim outright and stressed that he would never criticise players of Kroos’ calibre.
“That’s an absolute lie,” the former Nigerian international insisted. “To say that Modric, Carvajal, Kroos, or Nacho aren’t good enough is unbelievable. I would never say such a thing, and I never will.”
Rather than criticising the Madrid squad, Obi emphasised his admiration for a group he described as historically successful. He pointed to their collective achievements to underline his position and to end speculation surrounding the alleged remarks.
“They won the Champions League six times. To say they weren’t good is madness,” he concluded, placing these players among the world’s legends.
The clarification shifted the focus from confrontation to correction, highlighting how quickly unverified claims can circulate online.
Obi’s response aimed to close the matter by reaffirming his respect for Kroos and his former Madrid teammates, while distancing himself from comments he says he never made.
