Out of the European Championship - Toni Kroos and the "shattered dream"
Everything is leading up to the penalty shootout in the EURO-Quarterfinals, when in the 119th minute, a cross sails into the German penalty area once again. Mikel Merino stands freely and heads in the 2:1 winning goal for Spain. Germany is out of the Home-EURO and Toni Kroos' successful career comes to a sudden end. "We all had a big goal, this dream is now shattered into pieces," said a disappointed Kroos after the game into "Magenta TV" microphone. It will take a few days for him and the team to realize that they played a good tournament. "It was a tournament where we put everything into it. We were so close, but it's bitter."
Kroos found solace mainly in the realization that the team and the fans have grown closer once again. Less than a year ago and a 1:4 loss against Japan seemed to have definitively torn the tablecloth between the two sides, but at the EURO and the five games of the German team, fans and players found each other again. "We have regained hope and the claim to be better in football Germany," explained the 34-year-old. The belief has returned to the team.
Bittersweet career end for Toni Kroos
That the end came at the Home-EURO against his adopted homeland Spain, where Kroos had spent the last ten years playing for Real Madrid, was not something the German playmaker wanted to comment on extensively. "That doesn't really matter here. But we wanted to stay a little longer in the tournament," said Kroos, letting his disappointment show.
For the national team returnee, who is now retiring from international football after 114 appearances, national coach Julian Nagelsmann only had praise. "We had good conversations and Toni is an extraordinary person," he said. He had been convinced from the start that Kroos could help the team. Nagelsmann "Toni Kroos is a role model for many."
Despite the bitter disappointment of Germany's exit from the European Football Championship, Mikel Merino's header in the 119th minute ensured Spain's victory over their hosts. This outcome marked a significant moment in Toni Kroos' career, as the German midfielder, now with 114 international appearances under his belt, announced his retirement from the national team. Kroos expressed his thoughts during an interview with "Magenta TV", acknowledging the team's strong performance at the tournament, despite falling just short of the finals in their own backyard.
