Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos says the players are to blame for last night's Champions League defeat to Ajax.

Losing 4-1 in Madrid sees Real dumped out of the competition.

"To a man, we've failed to reach our best level," Kroos explained in an interview with COPE, "[and] I'm the first to admit that."

"I think we've played well in the Copa del Rey, but when you get a 3-0 defeat it's always difficult.

After being eliminated from the Champions League for the first time since 2015, there is a sense that Tuesday evening marked the end of a cycle for Los Merengues.

"It's normal for you to have a bad year," he admitted.

"What's not normal is what we've done over the course of the past three years.

"We also suffered last year and had some good games this year."