At the end of his contract with Real Madrid, the iconic German midfielder Toni Kroos announced on Tuesday that he would end one of the greatest careers in the history of football this summer after Euro-2024, 34 years old. “My football career will end this summer, after the Euro. As I have always said, Real Madrid is and will be my last club,” wrote the German international on Instagram, ensuring that his ambition had always been was to “finish at (his) best level”. Same pair of white crampons, hair brushed to the side, the indispensable playing master of the Spanish giant seemed to postpone until now the inexorable end of this career of all superlatives, during which he won 33 titles, 10 with the Bayern Munich, 22 with Real Madrid and the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
“July 17, 2014, the day of my presentation to Real Madrid, the day that changed my life. My life as a footballer, but above all as a person. It was the start of a new life within the most great club in the world, today, after 10 years, at the end of the season, this life will end,” the Madrid midfielder, whose contract ends in June, finally announced. Toni Kroos assured that he now had “only one idea left in mind”: bringing Real its fifteenth Champions League, which would also be its sixth (five with Real Madrid, one with Bayern), to finish in the firmament at Wembley, scene of the final against Dortmund on June 1.
“Legend of world football”
The German metronome, pillar of the recent successes of the Spanish giant, crowned La Liga champion for the 36th time, is according to Real Madrid “one of the great legends of our club and of world football”, with 22 titles including 4 Liga and 4 Champions League, and 463 matches played in the Merengue jersey. “Toni Kroos will forever remain in the hearts of all Real Madrid fans for the excellence of his football and for being a player who gave everything for this jersey” believes the Madrid club.
The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, greeted “one of the greatest players in the history of Real Madrid”, who “is and will always be his home”. A midfielder of extraordinary technical finesse, the native of Greifswald, in the north of Germany, continued to stretch the time and achieved one of the best seasons of his career so far, without wanting to give up. decide on its future. “It’s like in an orchestra, he directs. He sets the tempo. We can always rely on him. He exudes such calm… Toni is a very important basic element” praised his teammate Antonio Rüdiger .
Last dance at home
Always performing at the highest level, Kroos agreed last March to come out of his international retirement to come to the aid of a Mannschaft in difficulty before Euro-2024 at home, putting everyone in agreement from his first ball against France, transformed into an assist by Florian Wirtz. He is part of the group of 27 players selected by Julian Nagelsmann, as the last representative of the 2014 generation alongside Thomas Müller, also 34 years old, and Manuel Neuer, 38 years old.
This return, coupled with better collective performances, makes Germany, which will host the competition from June 14 to July 14, a serious contender for the title, behind France and England, the two favorites. For Kroos, hero of the Rio coronation who has become a legend beyond his borders, this tournament will resemble a farewell tour, while Spain is already mourning the retirement of a player respected by all and hailed for his magical right foot and its rare elegance.