First training, first press conference: Toni Kroos owns the stage at the big DFB comeback. He acts like a sovereign who knows what he is doing and what he wants.
The royal is back – and in the habitus of a sovereign. Toni Kroos celebrated his first comeback appearances in the national soccer team on the pitch and on the DFB podium with the self-image of a soccer champion.
Of course, the 34-year-old trophy collector from Real Madrid did not talk about the European Championship throne in his mature and self-confident plain-text press conference on the association campus. Kroos is too much of a realist for that – and the national team, which has been notoriously unsuccessful for six years, is not Real Madrid.
Kroos’ appearance made it clear why national coach Julian Nagelsmann chose him as the urgently needed leading figure for his radically restructured squad and the all-important home tournament in the summer. He didn’t exaggerate his return effect. “It’s not like he’ll come back now – and it’ll be fine,” he said.
Kroos didn’t downplay the significance and impact of his return either. Almost three years after his voluntary retirement from the national team, he returned home with clear ambitions. “Unfortunately you can’t get that out of me, you’re basically buying into it, this self-image of wanting to be successful,” announced Kroos.
Clear comeback goal
That’s what it’s all about, for him – and for Nagelsmann, who sees Kroos as a crucial piece of the puzzle in his squad, which has changed significantly before the big European Championship tests against France on Saturday (9 p.m./ZDF) in Lyon and then against the Netherlands.
“If we were eliminated in the preliminary round, then I wouldn’t put a green tick behind it,” said Kroos when asked when the European Championship would be considered a success for him. “It would be – as of now – a bit presumptuous to say that it is only a success if it wins the title.” However, the latest results and the mood in the country were “not great”. “I would certainly like to be able to actively participate in one or two knockout rounds in the tournament.” So that would mean at least the quarterfinals.
Of his 106 international matches, Kroos ended 67 as a winner and only 20 as a loser, but also his last so far in Germany’s exit from the 2021 European Championship in the round of 16 against England at Wembley. After that, it wasn’t just Kroos himself who thought his DFB time should end. Now he wants to add a more positive chapter, even if he assured: “I don’t think I have to prove anything to anyone.” Or is it?
Hoeneß is rethinking Rummenigge’s tournament wish
When his comeback became a serious topic of discussion, not everyone in Germany shouted “Hurray”. Bayern patron Uli Hoeneß even spoke of a “Titanic signal”. Now the verbal U-turn followed: “At the moment I welcome the fact that Toni Kroos is coming back because we don’t have that much choice in terms of personalities at the moment. Now Julian Nagelsmann has decided to bring in a lot of young players. In something like that environment, an experienced player like Toni Kroos might be the right one,” said Bayern’s honorary president in Munich. “I hope that I can confirm this statement from Uli Hoeneß,” was Kroos’ friendly reply.
Former Bayern boss Karl- Heinz Rummenigge, although a little more reserved than Kroos critic Hoeneß. “There seems to be a great need for men in the national team,” he said.
That’s what the national coach is there for, to make such decisions. “If he drops it the way he drops it, then I hope it works. We all in Germany hope that we can finally play a successful tournament again,” said Rummenigge. The former DFB captain recalled that three tournaments in a row were “scuttled.”
Neuer and ter Stegen in the big goalkeeper duel
Kroos was also actively involved in two tournament flops – the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 European Championship. Just like his world champion colleague Manuel Neuer, who fought a goalkeeping duel at the highest level with the eternal tournament bench warmer Marc-André ter Stegen during intensive training. It is expected that Neuer, who has now returned to the DFB circle after his serious skiing accident after the 2022 World Cup, will be announced by head coach Nagelsmann as number 1 for the European Championship before the game in France.
Both Nagelsmann and the player himself have already clearly outlined Kroos’ role. Nagelsmann gives Kroos a prominent place in his dream European Championship squad. “He can be a brilliant link between defense and offense,” said the 36-year-old.
Making Musiala and Wirtz work their magic
With a football worker like Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich or Brighton’s Pascal Groß at his side, Kroos wants to bring in “all facets” of midfield play in the control center: “The defensive thinking, the offensive thinking, giving security, playing balls forward, that To make the game quick or to calm it down.” Captain Ilkay Gündogan has to move further forward in Nagelsmann’s Kroos cosmos to the tenth position – and Joshua Kimmich from the midfield center to the right back.
The five-time Champions League winner Kroos also sees a central task for himself as making the young stars Jamal Musiala (21) and Florian Wirtz (20) perform magic. “It’s great that we have such players. And now the task is to ensure that we can enjoy their full quality, that they show the football that they have in their legs. I also see that as one of my tasks.” And Kroos now wants to work on this in every training session and the four test matches until the emergency at the European Championships. “Now it’s time to do it, that’s the reason why I came back, because I wanted to be with the team again.”
Source: Stern
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