‘Irreplaceable’ Toni Kroos walks away early at the top, a mic-drop moment
Retiring midfielder goes for another Champions League title with Madrid before his swansong for Germany at Euro 2024
Toni Kroos ended his career the way he played it: with perfect timing, completely in control, a man apart. Few footballers would have done it this way and fewer fans wanted it to happen when it did, but it’s his choice and that’s reason enough. Isco recently begged him to continue, Dani Carvajal didn’t want to bid farewell already and David Alaba admitted he was was “annoyed”; Lucas Vázquez was “gutted” and Vinícius Júnior called it a “terrible day for the ball”. But, trust him, this is what Toni Kroos does and has done over 17 years: make the right decision at the right moment, chosen with care and executed impeccably.
“This season, my 10th at Real Madrid, will be my last,” he said on Tuesday morning in a special, Spanish edition of the podcast he does with his brother, Felix. “I am convinced it is the correct decision.”
