Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has insisted that "you can't buy the Champions League trophy" as the Spanish giants prepare to take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of their semi-final.
Los Blancos overcame Paris Saint-Germain en route to the final four, and Kroos has seemingly taken a shot at the French champions by claiming that investment counts for little when it comes to the European competition.
"You can't buy a Champions League trophy. If that was the case, we would not have won it so much," Kroos told reporters. "It's special for a team like Madrid.
"We have players in condition to play at the highest level. If you have a lot of players with that experience, in these difficult moments, you know what you have to do and you don't lose your nerve. That's what takes us so far.
"This is the only chance we have to win a title. It was similar two years ago and we did it in the end. We're very motivated: winning it three times in a row is something unique. We had PSG in the second round and Juve in the quarter-finals. It's not the easiest road."
Madrid will take on Bayern in the first leg of their semi-final at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night before the two teams meet in the return match at the Bernabeu next week.