National team
Völler on Kroos: “Nobody is written off”
DFB sports director Rudi Völler once again comments on a possible comeback by Toni Kroos. photo
© Christian Charisius/dpa
The national team starts the European Championship year in March. With the Rio world champion Toni Kroos, who actually retired? The DFB sports director repeats his restriction.
DFB sports director Rudi Völler is making a comeback Toni Kroos in the national soccer team in the year of the home European Championship also depends on the personnel situation.
“In the end you will see how the next few weeks and months go, everyone is in sight, nobody is written off,” said Völler to the TV channel Sky at Borussia Dortmund’s training camp in Spain. National coach Julian Nagelsmann “explained well that the train hasn’t left for anyone.”
Of course, the DFB sports director added again, “we all know that Toni has a position where we don’t really need it.” The midfield star from Real Madrid ended his DFB career in 2021 after the round of 16 exit at the European Championships after 106 international matches. Nagelsmann described Kroos’ return as an “interesting thought” on ZDF’s “Sportstudio” in December.
The 34-year-old Kroos, world champion in 2014, has not yet commented specifically on this. It is questionable whether the five-time Champions League winner would step in as a substitute if he had bad luck with injuries. In his previous four international matches (one win, two defeats), Nagelsmann had not found a convincing starting line-up for the central midfield. Among other things, there was discussion about the right position for captain Ilkay Gündogan, who should probably play a little more offensively in the future.
The DFB selection starts the European Championship year in March with test matches in France and against the Netherlands. Völler said he knew “that the results were not such that people could have great confidence in us.” He is still extremely optimistic, not least because Nagelsmann is “a wonderful top trainer”. At the European Championships there will be “not only the will, but also the desire and the joy”.