Lahm: I don’t miss Kroos

Bayern Munich’s Philipp Lahm insists he does not miss Toni Kroos, who moved to Real Madrid this summer.

The Bavarians lost one of the creative influences in their team when the Germany international was sold, and they have struggled in the first three games of the Bundesliga season, dropping points at Schalke, but Lahm does not believe losing Kroos is the cause.

“I’m not sad that Toni’s gone – that’s football,” he told Kicker magazine. “Players come and players go. I’ve been around long enough not to let the sale of players get me down, even if Toni is an excellent player.”

According to FIFA.com,Kroos’ place was taken by Xabi Alonso, although the former Real midfielder is of a different ilk. “With Javi Martinez, Thiago and Bastian Schweinsteiger out not for two weeks, but for a long time, then we needed him,” Lahm said.

Alonso is the fifth Spanish player to have arrived at Bayern since Pep Guardiola took charge just over a year ago, but Lahm insists that a player’s passport is not important.

“It’s more about the qualities the player has got,” he said. “Where they come from doesn’t matter. I’m not concerned by it.”

M.D