FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are arguably two of the fiercest rivals in all of sports. The two Clasico opponents have never backed away from fights, and their players tend to embody this nature of their respective clubs. However, even for rivals like Barcelona and Real Madrid, there have to be times of mutual respect.
Following the latest victory for the Spanish National team in the European Championship, a game in which they ended up eliminating the host nation Germany, Barcelona were left with a bitter-sweet experience. While the likes of Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Fermin Lopez will continue to fight for another day, another soldier of Spain will no longer be able to.
Pedri, who was a regular starter for Spain in this tournament, ended up being injured early on in the game. The man who was responsible for injuring him, however, was none other than Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos. While he did not seem to show any remorse at the time, the German midfielder has since come out to apologize.
As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Toni Kroos made sure to send an apology towards Pedri in his farewell post after the conclusion of the game, also saying beforehand that he was unable to give that apology in person after the game:
“This is important to me: Apologies and get well soon, Pedri! Obviously, it was not my intention to harm you. Speedy recovery and all the best. You’re a great player.”
A classy remark from Kroos was to end his note with the compliment he gave to the young Barcelona midfielder. Unfortunately, the apology may not help Pedri fully recover but it is still a good gesture after an incident that can be only labeled as a part of the game.
However, in terms of the extent and severity of the injury itself, Pedri and Barcelona have something to worry about. The latest update ended up stating that the injury was a grade 2 internal lateral sprain in his left knee and there is speculation that the player may have to be sidelined for well beyond a month to fully recover.