European Football Championship - Nagelsmann's hymn to Kroos: "One of the greatest"
Trainer Julian Nagelsmann praised German national team player Toni Kroos after Germany's elimination from the EM. For the 34-year-old midfield strategist, the 1:2 after extra time against Spain in Stuttgart was his last professional game.
"The career of Toni is something that cannot be highly enough esteemed. I believe, as everyone can see, his sports achievements, which are probably unique for a German player, maybe forever. He is certainly one of the greatest German players," Nagelsmann said after Kroos' 114th and last national team game.
Character more important than achievements
Nagelsmann had convinced Kroos, two and a half years after his retirement as a national team player, to make a comeback for the home EM. "I'll be completely open about it: I found it strange in the weeks before that I wanted to bring him back, there was no one who agreed. A week after he returned, everyone was saying I had had the idea for a long time, why am I doing it now, the national coach," Nagelsmann said.
"People know Toni's sports achievements. What is even more important, what most here don't know, is his character, how he is as a person, how he speaks to the team now in a very sad moment for him, how he evaluates things, what role he gives himself in a large group," Nagelsmann said in the press conference after the game.
"He always saw himself or saw himself as part of the group. This human way, the way he deals with his children, his wife, his teammates, all these things are exceptional and for me in evaluating such a career even more significantly higher than six Champions League titles," Nagelsmann added. Kroos had recently won the last Champions League title with Real Madrid in the final against Borussia Dortmund.
Kroos' EM verdict: "It was fun"
Kroos himself spoke of "a certain emptiness" that he felt. The disappointment over the tournament exit covered his thoughts about the end of his career. "We are on eye level with the best again," said the World Cup winner from 2014 proudly, even if the entry into the semifinals and the hoped-for title win failed.
The return to the DFB team was the right decision. "The timing was good. It was a lot of fun. I'm very satisfied. I didn't think we could get so close so quickly," Kroos said about the performance improvement of the national team in the past months.
Infantino praises Kroos
FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid tribute to Kroos for a "fantastic" career. "Congratulations on a wonderful career for club and country," Infantino wrote on Instagram. "You were a true professional and brought joy to fans all over the world." Kroos should now enjoy the next chapter of his life. Infantino posted his greeting message along with a photo of a victory ceremony.
- Julian Nagelsmann expressed his admiration for Toni Kroos' career during Germany's EM elimination, hailing him as one of Germany's greatest players.
- Nagelsmann convinced Kroos, then retired from the national team for two and a half years, to return for the home EM in Baden-Württemberg.
- Despite the 1:2 loss against Spain in Stuttgart, Kroos won his 114th and last national team game, marking the end of his professional soccer career.
- Nagelsmann highlighted Kroos' character as more important than his achievements, commending his selfless attitude and exceptional behavior towards teammates and family.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino also praised Kroos for his "fantastic" career, calling him a true professional who brought joy to fans worldwide.
- Kroos, a World Cup winner in 2014, expressed a sense of "emptiness" after Germany's EM exit but was satisfied with his return to the German national team and the improvement it brought.
- The European Football Championship saw Toni Kroos step down from international soccer, leaving fans and colleagues in Germany and Spain to reflect on his significant impact on soccer history.
