While Madrid shines in Europe, Benzema and Ancelotti brace for bad news

Toni Kroos has not decided whether he will retire or extend his contract next summer. The 32-year-old has been in the best form of his career this season, helping Madrid to the top of LaLiga and their Champions League group. "I feel very good physically, I'm very happy," said Kroos. Kroos joined Madrid from Bayern Munich in 2014, and has won four Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles.

“I'm calm. It's funny, sometimes I read things but even I don't know what's going to happen. I've said I'll think about it next year, or now during the break. Then I'll try to decide what I want to do. I won't change clubs. I'll retire here. The only thing I don't know is when. I don't know what I think. We'll see next year, but the club and I are calm,” said Kroos.

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Kroos has formed part of an iconic midfield trio at the Bernabeu, playing alongside Casemiro and Luka Modric, but the former joined Manchester United in August, while both Kroos and Modric will be out of contract next June. "It's each of our decisions," Kroos said, when asked if his future was linked to Modric's. “We each give importance to different things. I don't ask Luka what he'll do.”

Manager Carlo Ancelotti is facing a touchline ban after complaining of an "invented" penalty against Madrid when they played Girona. "I need to clear this up," Ancelotti said. “In Italy 'invented penalty' means a penalty that's not a penalty. There's no bad faith and no accusation against a referee. I've never shown a lack of respect to a referee and I never will.”

Ancelotti unconcerned about ban

The Italian is nonplussed about the prospect of a suspension, highlighting that in a career that spans over 1000 games, missing four is no big deal. While that may be true, they may be four less games with Toni Kroos. Football managers are not sentimental, though. Players come and go with the seasons.