Toni Kroos explains decision to retire after Euro 2024 with Germany (2024)

Germany legend Toni Kroos will hope to have completed the ultimate farewell to the game when he hangs up his boots after Euro 2024.

The legendary midfielderannounced he would retire after this summer's tournament just days before winning a sixth Champions League trophy in his final game for Real Madrid.

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Kroos has won four LaLiga titles and five Champions Leagues with Los Blancos since signing fromBayern Munichin 2014, where he also tasted both domestic and European glory.

The 2014 World Cup winner now has the opportunity to depart the international stage with as much glory as he did his club career.

Will Toni Kroos retire after the Euros?

Yes, the 34-year-old revealed his plans to finish his career after Euro 2024 with Germany in his homeland with a post on social media.

Kroos originally retired from international football in July 2021 following a 2-0 defeat to England at Euro 2020.

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He was convinced to reverse his decision in February following talks with head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Nagelsmann has now revealed what was said in those talks, explaining: "It took a period of time to convince him because he wanted to know what we were going to change in the future for the national team.

"He said to me, one of the first phone calls, that he only will be part of the team when he has the feeling that we can win something, with the team."

And then the German boss told Kroos his plans to which the midfielder replied: "Yes, I will be part of it. Let's rock!'"

Kroos then made his first outing for Die Mannschaft in over 1000 days during their 2-0 win over France in March.

However, the 111-cap international then confirmed his return will only be a brief one and that Euro 2024 will be his last dance.

Why is he retiring?

Kroos shocked the football world when he announced his retirement having shown this season that he is still one of the best around.

It was his pinpoint corner that created the opening goal for Dani Carvajal at Wembley during the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.

He is also four years younger than his long-serving Madrid teammate Luka Modric, who is signing a new contract at the club.

Kroos similarly had been offered the chance to sign a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu but claimed he wanted to leave on a high.

He also confessed that he didn't want to feel like a problem at Madrid and considering he'd promised himself that Los Blancos would be his last club, he opted to retire.

On his podcast,Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos said: "Anyone who has listened carefully to me in recent years will have heard me say at some point that the only option for me is to finish my career at Real Madrid.

"My last season at Real means that this summer will be the end.

"Even outside of sports, I think it was probably the most difficult decision of my life. Thank God I haven't had to make a more difficult decision in my private life. To start football at the age of six and manage it to a certain extent until you are 34...it is a very, very serious decision if football has always been at the centre of your life. That is why it is not so easy.

"I was already a little bit at the point of making this decision a year ago. So it was already made. But I had also been thinking about it for a long time. In retrospect, I have to say that it was the right decision to continue another year, because things have really turned out as I hoped.

"I stayed healthy, it wasn't too much for my body, it was another full season without injuries. Plus, I had a lot of fun in most of the games, I managed to maintain my level and we were successful as a team.

"That's always a big goal when you think about retiring, that you want to retire successfully. Even before the Champions League final, I can say that it has been a successful season. Now, it seems like the perfect time.

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"I never wanted to have the feeling that the club, the fans and the people around me had to tell me 'it's over' at the end, or that I would end up sitting here on the bench for another two or three years.

"That, in some ways, wouldn't be worthy of a career, so I'm glad, happy and a little proud that I was able to avoid all those things. It's a nice feeling."