“Tournament exit is a bigger concern than my retirement” - Toni Kroos reacts after Germany crash out of Euro 2024
Toni Kroos opened up after Germany was eliminated from Euro 2024 following a 2-1 defeat against Spain in the quarter-finals. The match took place on July 5, at MHPArena in Stuttgart.
Following a goalless first half, Spain took the lead with Dani Olmo's goal from an assist by Lamine Yamal in the 51st minute. German midfielder Florian Wirtz scored the equalizer with an assist by Joshua Kimmich in the 88th minute, which took the match to extra time. Mikel Merino netted the winning goal through an assist by Dani Olmo in the 119th minute.
With this quarter-final loss, Germany's journey in the Euro 2024, which marked Toni Kroos' last match, came to an end. The Real Madrid legend announced his decision to hang up his boots on May 21, mentioning that he will retire after this year's tournament.
Following the crushing defeat against Spain, Toni Kroos said (via Express):
"We can all be proud. I'm happy if I could help a little to ensure that we have this standard again in German football."
The 34-year-old midfielder placed more value on his nation's elimination from Euro 2024 than his retirement, emphasizing the heartbreak:
"At the moment, the tournament exit is a bigger concern than my retirement. We all had a big goal together. That dream has now been shattered to some extent, even though we will realise that we played a good tournament. It was a game where we all gave it our all. We were very close. That makes it all the more bitter."
Germany have won the UEFA European Championship thrice in 1972, 1980, and 1996 while being runners-up in 1976, 1992, and 2008. They ended up in third place in 1988, 2012, and 2016.
Julian Nagelsmann on Toni Kroos after Germany's Euro 2024 exit
Following the 2-1 loss against Spain, Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann opened up about Toni Kroos and said (via @_LGalacticos on X):
"Kroos is certainly one of the best players in German history. Everyone knows about his successes, but not everyone knows about his character. He spoke to the team at a very difficult moment."
Toni Kroos, who made his senior debut for Germany in 2010, has netted 17 goals and provided 21 assists in 114 appearances across all competitions. He won the FIFA World Cup with Germany in 2014 while also being named the German Footballer of the Year in 2018.