End of career - Kroos on his farewell: Everyone can be proud
Toni Kroos bid farewell to fans after his last professional football match with great sadness. "I think we can all be proud, because everyone put in a lot of effort compared to the past time," said the 114-time national team player after Germany's elimination in the home EURO against Spain in Stuttgart. "I'm glad I could help a bit, that we all in Germany have the claim and hope to continue. I'm confident that the team will make it in the future. But it also belongs to it that we are all sad today."
After the final whistle of the 1:2 after extra time, numerous Spanish players tried to console Kroos. The 34-year-old had shaped Real Madrid's top club for years and won the Champions League five times with the Royals. National coach Julian Nagelsmann had only called Kroos back into the national team in March. With Kroos, security and stability came to the German game - even if the home EURO was already over for Germany before the final on July 14 in Berlin.
"Honestly, the tournament exit is currently dominating, because we all had a big common goal," said Kroos, who had stood in front of the German fans for a long time after the final whistle. "This dream we all had is now shattered, even if we realize in the coming days that we played a good tournament. When you're that close, that's what's extremely bitter."
Toni Kroos, having represented Germany's national team 114 times, expressed his melancholy after their elimination in the home EURO against Spain, which took place in Stuttgart’s stadium. Despite this disappointing outcome, Kroos, a midfielder from Baden-Württemberg and a former Stuttgart player, expressed confidence in Germany's soccer team, believing they have the potential to succeed in future tournaments. Spain's soccer team, known for their stellar performance, showed empathy towards Kroos after the match, recognizing his significant contributions to Germany's soccer history and his long-term tenure with Real Madrid, where he contributed to five Champions League victories. The European soccer tournament marked a choice by head coach Julian Nagelsmann to call Kroos back into the German national team, further emphasizing his importance to Germany's soccer landscape.
