Kroos and Rudy Fernández the stars on day two of White Week

Toni Kroos and Rudy Fernández were the star names in attendance on day two of White Week by the Universidad Europea-Real Madrid Graduate School. Real Madrid's Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño was the moderator of the event, where he spoke to the German legend who won 23 titles, including 5 Champions Leagues, in 465 appearances for our team. He reflected: "Real Madrid has given me a new home. I left my country for the first time with a family, with my wife and an eight-month-old son. Now I'm here with three kids and the eldest is eleven. We found a home, and that goes hand in hand with your success."

Feelings
“Having the fans appreciate you is worth much more than any trophy. That will stay with me for my entire life. People wait for me in the street, and that makes me think I've done something right over the course of these ten years. It's not just about the titles I've won, it's more than that. People have realised during that time my word is worth something. I always said that if I could, I would retire at Real Madrid and that's the decision I made."

Retirement 
“I didn't make the decision overnight, it was a process. I wanted to be an important part of the team, I didn't want to go through the time when people thought I wasn't up to it physically, or that my body hurt. It was a period of several conversations with my family, with my wife.  You can win loads of Champions Leagues and league titles but the way people have said goodbye to me is hard to explain."

The key to his performances
“First and foremost, self-belief. I have no fear, at least in football, I have absolute faith in my ability. I don't remember a single game where I got nervous or had doubts, I could never wait to get out onto the pitch. We have had some tough times here over those ten years. Lots of titles, but some difficult months too. And if you're not stable, I think that's when doubts start to creep in, and that's very dangerous at a club like this. I haven't had a doubt in my mind for even a second in these ten years. I may have made mistakes at times, but I have always been certain that I was the best option in the middle of the park."

European nights at the Bernabéu
“The most important thing is to create an atmosphere together, to have the team and the stadium acting as one, otherwise everything is far harder. We've experienced situations that seemed all but impossible, like the semifinal against Bayern in the last Champions League. The fans give us confidence, they create an atmosphere and that really drives us on."

Rudy Fernández: “What this club does on a human level is unbelievable”
“Coming to Real Madrid was the best decision I ever made from a sporting perspective, no doubt in my mind. When you get here, you realise the expectations that come with it, but also you see the values it holds, how it cares for players, how you feel part of a family. To live alongside all these athletes, the men's and women's football teams. In the end, what this club does on a human level is unbelievable, and then on a sporting level, needless to say it's the greatest club in the world."

Motivation for success
“My family, of course. But the main reason for me being sat here today, and for everything I've achieved, is my father. My father told me that if I was going to take that leap, that I had to give it everything I had, and so it was. After every game, I'd call him and he'd keep telling me what more I had to do, that was the same from when I was 15 until I was 36. And my family, my friends, but I think it's where you're lucky enough to end up, to drop into a positive dynamic."

Values
“As I said, 'Until the end.' That's what I've tried to instil in the new generations who have come through in recent years, because that's what I was always taught. Like Felipe as captain, then Sergi (Llull), it's about knowing the demands of Madrid, but also understanding that these are the values that come with wearing the jersey. I have been fortunate enough to be able to adapt to the needs of the club and the team, which ultimately were always about getting to the crunch moments with a chance. That's why you have to be able to handle that kind of pressure, I think that's the value I've had and what made me the player I've been. Giving it your all on court is the best possible example you can set for young players."

Special moments
“It's so hard to pick one. I talk about winning trophies and I get goosebumps, but when I saw the people who came out for that last match at the WiZink, it brought a tear to my eye. That's what any athlete wants in the end, to feel acknowledged by the people who really matter, the fans. That's the greatest triumph of my career."

Other attendees 
"The winner of 28 medals at the Paralympic Games and the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, Teresa Perales, spoke about the quest for glory: "It's not so much about equalling Michael Phelps, but rather how it was the first time ever in Spain that an Olympic champion and a Paralympic champion had appeared in the same headline. That gave greater visibility to the Paralympic Games. That's the story of any athlete, winning medals or winning moments."

Juan Contreras, Global Marketing Director of Adidas Real Madrid BU and Álvaro Vitores, Real Madrid's Sponsorship Activation Director, were also involved in day two of White Week, holding a conference titled: Adidas: how we built a strategic partnership together.