Toni Kroos
A stroke of genius by the Real conductor enchants the football world, but he remains silent about his future plans
Toni Kroos is the master of the well-groomed pass, which lands precisely on the foot of his teammate as if remotely controlled
© Matthias Balk / DPA
Toni Kroos played a big part in the 2-2 draw in the Champions League semi-finals with a magical pass that Vinicius Junior converted to take the lead against FC Bayern. When it comes to his future at Real Madrid, the midfield strategist remains silent.
The little controversy with Carlo Ancelotti was for Toni Kroos was no longer a topic of excitement after the final whistle. The midfield strategist spontaneously reacted with an unusually emotional reaction to his substitution in the 75th minute, when Real Madrid was 2-1 behind in the first giant duel with his former club FC Bayern Munich. The 34-year-old didn’t want to go down at that moment. He actively wanted to avert defeat.
“No, I think he understands that too,” said Kroos when asked about his coach and boss: “In a game like this, especially when you have the feeling that you’re doing very well, it’s logical that you’re in doesn’t want to get out of a Champions League semi-final.” But Ancelotti wanted to throw in fresh talent. “Toni played a great game,” he reassured.
Toni Kroos: Been playing with Vini for a few days
In fact: Kroos was really good at the Allianz Arena, where he played in the Bayern jersey at the beginning of his professional career until he moved to Madrid as world champion exactly a decade ago. Kroos was Real’s head and conductor. And his magic pass to Vinicius Junior for the first goal of the evening was a stroke of genius. Even though Kroos commented on the action in his own way: “The pass wasn’t actually that special!”
Really now? “I’ve been playing with Vini for a few days,” explained Kroos. In the scene, the Brazilian dropped into midfield, lured opponent Minjae Kim out at the back and then sprinted into the depths. “That is his great strength,” said Kroos about the typical Real move. And then the perfect pass came from “Steilpass-Toni”.
In the last creative phase of his magnificent football career, Kroos supposedly mutated from “cross-passing Toni” to “through-passing Toni”, even if Kroos sees it completely differently and doesn’t care about the new nickname. “Oh! The name didn’t bother me before, nor do I jump for air now,” he said calmly in the catacombs.
Kroos enjoys every day
Kroos knows that everyone who, from his point of view, really knows about football has always recognized and appreciated his abilities. That’s why national coach Julian Nagelsmann persuaded him to come back to the national team for the home European Championships.
Kroos is currently enjoying every day and is still leaving his future beyond the summer open. Extension at Real? End of career? “We are now in a phase where it’s about everything. To be honest, it’s not about individuals. Nothing has been decided yet,” he said on Tuesday evening. Rather, he is now “looking forward to a lot in the next few weeks.” The most successful German footballer absolutely wants to reach the Champions League final again and then hold the trophy in his hands for the sixth time at Wembley on June 1st.
“The result is okay,” said Kroos, who is relying on Real’s premier class history and the Bernabéu myth in the second leg. “We know that we are good at home, but we also know that Bayern can beat anyone in a game.” On June 14th he wants to return to the Allianz Arena in the DFB jersey for the opening game of the home European Championship against Scotland.
When asked by reporters whether he would end his career in the summer after another triumph in the Champions League, essentially winning the championship in Spain and the European championship title, Kroos replied with a smile: “If you sign it to me like that, then “You definitely have to think about it.”