JUDE BELLINGHAM helped Toni Kroos earn the family bragging rights with his late Champions League winner.
Kroos and Real Madrid looked set for a disappointing stalemate against the Union Berlin in their opening group match until the England star’s 95th-minute strike sealed a 1-0 win.
The German midfielder, 33, was on the bench for Carlo Ancelotti’s side but was introduced just after the hour mark as they continued to be held at bay by the visitors.
But his introduction helped inspire the 14-time European champions to a dramatic victory – leaving his brother heartbroken.
As Kroos sat on the bench waiting to get on, there was a familiar face on the opposition one at the Bernabeu – his lesser-known younger sibling.
Felix Kroos, 32, was a footballer himself and played for Union Berlin between 2016 and 2020.
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He is now retired after a stint playing for Eintracht Braunschweig and has since returned to Union to start his coaching journey and predominantly works with their U19s.
Felix has been his older brother’s biggest fan throughout his sibling’s legendary career.
And he was even snapped wearing a Madrid shirt while posing alongside Toni with the trophy following Madrid’s 2022 Champions League win.
But there were no doubts about where his loyalties where going into this clash as he told Union Berlin’s media channels: “I have said a lot of results, but here I’m going for 2-2.
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“My family always comes first, but I have a problem because Union is my football family. “
Felix, who retired aged 30 through injury, and Toni both started out at Greifswalder SC and FC Hansa Rostock as youngsters before the former went to Hansa and the latter signed for Bayern Munich.
Toni has since gone on to win the Champions League five times, firstly with Bayern in 2013, before adding another four to his collection since his arrival at Madrid in 2014.
And he played a key role for Germany as they tasted World Cup glory in the same summer he moved to the Bernabeu.
Bellingham’s late goal ensured it was a miserable day all-round for Felix.
Earlier in the afternoon his Union Berlin U19s were beaten 2-1 by Real Madrid’s young guns in the Uefa Youth League.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
