Toni Kroos is having a bitter farewell to professional football. The national team’s European Championship journey ends against Spain. The 2014 world champion encourages his teammates.
Toni Kroos said goodbye to the fans with a lot of sadness after his very last game as a professional footballer. “I think we can all be proud because we have all done a lot better than before,” said the 114-time national player after the quarter-finals of the European Championship at home against Spain in Stuttgart. “I’m happy if I helped a little bit to ensure that we all in Germany have the ambition and hope to progress. I’m confident that the team will manage that in the future. But it’s also part of the fact that we’re all sad today.”
After the final whistle of the 1:2 after extra time, numerous Spanish players also tried to console Kroos. The 34-year-old had shaped the Spanish top club Real Madrid for years and won the Champions League five times with the Royals. National coach Julian Nagelsmann only brought the 2014 world champion back to the national team in March. Kroos brought security and stability to the German game – even if the home European Championships were over before the final on July 14 in Berlin.
“To be honest, the tournament exit is a bit of a concern at the moment, that’s the main thing now, because we all had a big goal together,” said Kroos, who stood in front of the German fans for a long time after the final whistle. “This dream that we all had has now been shattered, even if we will realise in the next few days that we played a good tournament. When you’re so close, that’s what’s extremely bitter.”
Source: Stern
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