National player Toni Kroos is ending his successful career after the European Football Championship this summer. The 34-year-old from Real Madrid announced his decision on Tuesday in his podcast “Einfach mal Luppen” and on social media. “It doesn’t come across so easily, but it hits home,” said the 2014 world champion. “And now I can understand the feeling of being very happy on the one hand and very sad on the other.”
At the European Championships, the leader in national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s selection will play his last international matches. So far, the midfield strategist has made 108 appearances in the DFB jersey, wearing the captain’s armband seven times. After the 2021 European Championship, Kroos actually ended his national team career, but was brought back by Nagelsmann for the international matches last March before the home European Championship. Kroos is one of the central players in Nagelsmann’s considerations for the tournament from June 14th to July 14th.
“I’ve thought about it for a very, very long time and in the last few days I’ve come to a conclusion, and that is that this season, this wonderful season, the tenth with Real, is also my last season with Real,” said Kroos with the Royals facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final in London on June 1st. So far, Kroos has won the pot five times, once with FC Bayern and four times with Real.
Anyone who has listened to him carefully in recent years has heard that the only option for him to end his career would be at Real Madrid. “And anyone who can add one plus one knows that my last season at Real also means that it’s over this summer. It’s over at Real, it’s over with football,” said Kroos.
Note: This text has been updated.