HERZOGENAURACH.- The veteran German midfielder Toni Kroos He said he did not believe that Friday’s match against Spain in the quarter-finals of the European Championship would be the last of his career before he retires at the age of 34.
In May, the Real Madrid player announced that he would be ending his successful career at the end of the European Championship, so Friday’s match could be his last if the hosts are eliminated.
Asked by reporters about his Real Madrid teammate Joselu Mato’s comments that the Spanish international would like to “retire” Kroos, the German replied: “I don’t feel like it’s going to be my last game and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The 2014 world champion, who retired from the German national team after Euro 2021 and returned last March, reiterated that the reason for his return to the ‘Mannschaft’ was “the desire to win the Euro”.
“If I hadn’t seen the possibility of achieving it (the title), I wouldn’t have come back,” added Kroos, who said he was “not afraid” of what awaits him when he hangs up his boots.
“It’s a day that comes to all footballers,” he said with a smile. “Thank God I was able to make the decision myself, without anyone pushing me or making me feel like I should have done it earlier.”
Although he qualified: “I am aware that whatever I do, the hobbies or whatever I may try to do, it will never be as good as playing football.”
Meeting of generations:
The six-time Champions League winner made his Bayern Munich debut in 2007, the same year that winger Lamine Yamal was born, one of the standout players for Spain at this European Championship, despite being just 16 years old.
“That doesn’t make me feel too young,” the German joked before calling Yamal “the most dangerous or at least one of the most dangerous players” for Barcelona last season.
Source: AFP
