Toni Kroos is a true football legend. He is known as a virtuoso performer of accurate passes, as a masterful conductor of the game. "If you don't know what to do with the ball, just pass it to me,", he once said.
If Toni Kroos could choose a date for the end of his career, he would probably want it to be July 14, 2024 - the day of the final match of the European Football Championship, writes ARD. But his football career may end earlier – depending on whether the German national team will advance, which depends primarily on the match against Spain on Friday (July 5).
Kroos himself does not expect this to be his last match with the national shirt, as he stated at a press conference. His rich collection of titles still lacks that of a European champion – this distinguishes him from Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthaus, Gerd Müller or Jurgen Klinsmann.
I nodded: "The most successful German footballer“
Where exactly is the place of Toni Kroos among the best, asks ARD. There are objective criteria, such as titles won, by which we can judge. Referring to them, Josua Kimmich believes that Toni Kroos is the most successful footballer Germany has ever had.
For “Bayern“ Munich Kroos has scored 24 goals and 49 assists, and with “Real“ Madrid – 28 goals and 99 assists. The passes are his strongest weapon, writes ARD further and specifies: Short passes and long passes, passes across the entire field, high passes, accurate to the centimeter; taking the ball perfectly and playing with a pass - Toni Kroos does these things to perfection, even when under a lot of pressure. He recently addressed his teammates with the words: “If you don't know what to do with the ball, just pass it to me.
There have also been criticisms
After Germany was eliminated in the round of 16 at the previous European Championship, Uli Hoeness commented that "Crossing passes by Kroos are no longer fashionable in football". Three years later and already at the age of 34, Kroos was in the starting eleven of “Real“ Madrid for another Champions League final. When asked if in Spain they understood more quickly and better how valuable his way of playing is, Kroos indirectly responded to Hoeness' criticism by saying: “Some faster, others slower, but in the end everyone understand“.
It is known that Hoeness could never forgive Kroos that in 2014 he rejected the offer of “Bayern“ and moved to “Real“ Madrid, explains ARD.
Gündogan: “Deserved recognition“
Asked by ARD to rate his colleague Toni Kroos, German national team captain Ilkay Gundogan said: “I see him at the top. He played a leading and formative role in arguably the best club of the last decade, winning the Champions League six times, which is unsurpassed. According to him, Toni Kroos is only now getting the recognition he deserves from Germany.
"Three more games, one more title and Kroos' collection will be complete. ARD recalls that in March 2024, Kroos returned to the national team with the clear aim of winning this home tournament. It would be a “sensational ending”.