In ten years, Toni Kroos won an incredible 22 titles with Real Madrid. His farewell at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was correspondingly emotional.
Toni Kroos was in tears. When the midfield star left the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu pitch for the last time and his three children were already waiting for him on the sidelines, he could no longer hide his emotions. “I was strong until I saw my children. That moment killed me,” Kroos said of his moving farewell to the Spanish football champions. “During these ten years, I always felt at home. It was an unforgettable time.”
Rarely has a player at Real Madrid been bid farewell like Kroos. “Gracias Leyenda” (Thank you, legend) was written on a huge poster, his teammates including Luka Modric and co. threw the 34-year-old into the air after the 0:0 draw against Betis Sevilla and “Toni, Toni” was repeatedly chanted from the steep stands. Kroos, who is ending his professional career after the European Championships in the summer, actually wanted a discreet farewell. That went completely wrong.
22 titles with Real Madrid
His time at Real is not quite over yet, a big task still awaits him. “The best way would be to win the 15th,” said Kroos. The 15th Champions League triumph should be next Saturday in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at London’s Wembley Stadium. For Kroos, it would be the fifth in the Madrid jersey and the sixth of his career. In total, the 2014 World Champion has won an incredible 22 titles with Real.
“He is a player who has achieved something extraordinary for this club. It is the farewell he deserves. He is one of the greatest,” enthused successful coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He always had a small ego and played for the team. We can count ourselves lucky to have had him here for ten years.” For Ancelotti, Kroos was his extended arm on the pitch; together with playmaker Modric, the Greifswald native had shaped an era in Real’s midfield.
And Kroos, who came to the Spanish capital in the summer of 2014 for an estimated 30 million euros, was always reliable. He played 464 games for the Royals, scored 28 goals and provided assists for 98. In each of his ten seasons, he achieved a pass accuracy of at least 92 percent. When things got tricky, Kroos radiated calm and confidence. “There is no player like Kroos with his qualities on the market, but we have to replace him with someone else,” said Ancelotti.
Only the European Championship title is missing
Kroos could have signed a new one-year contract with Real, but he turned it down. “I always wanted to leave at the peak of my career. I never wanted people to have to tell me that that’s enough,” he recently explained the decision in his podcast “Einfach mal Luppen”.
He has achieved almost everything anyway. However, he is still missing one title. The European Championship trophy in the summer could round off his successful career. Kroos is a fixture in Julian Nagelsmann’s team after his comeback in March. The national coach is certainly impressed by his fitness: “When you hug Toni Kroos, even though he is no longer 20, he is like steel! Incredible body, as always!”
It will be over for good by July 14th at the latest, the day of the European Championship final. After that, Kroos is looking forward to “more self-determination”. He has already pushed forward various projects such as his podcast, his foundation and his football academy alongside his career. And his little daughter finally wants to see him on a horse. So it won’t be boring.
Source: Stern
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