In this Oct 13, 2020 photo, Germany's midfielder Toni Kroos (left) and Germany's midfielder Serge Gnabry react after conceding during the UEFA Nations League football match Germany v Switzerland in Cologne, Western Germany. (INA FASSBENDER / AFP)

MADRID - Real Madrid and Germany player Toni Kroos has taken a swipe at FIFA and UEFA, claiming the world and European organising bodies are treating players like “puppets” by expanding tournaments and creating new competitions.

With the invention of all these new things we seem to be just the puppets of FIFA and UEFA. These competitions are created to suck everything out of every single player physically and to suck out as much money as possible.

Toni Kroos, German footballer

Kroos criticised the creation of the UEFA Nations League in 2018, which he competes in with Germany, as well as FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, which was set to take place in 2021 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the invention of all these new things we seem to be just the puppets of FIFA and UEFA,” Kroos said on the Einfach mal Luppen podcast the player presents with brother and fellow professional Felix.

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“These competitions are created to suck everything out of every single player physically and to suck out as much money as possible.”

The midfielder also lambasted the concept of a European Super League, after Barcelona’s outgoing president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed last month he has agreed to sign the Catalans up to a future league involving the continent’s top teams.

Kroos believes domestic competitions and the Champions League are “top products” that should not be meddled with.

“When certain things work well it is a good idea to leave them that way,” he added.