Almost every Real Madrid fan experienced heartbreak today as the legendary midfielder Toni Kroos announced his retirement from football after the conclusion of the UEFA EURO 2024. Thus, this summer will witness the German leaving the club that he arrived at 10 years ago, and in whose history his name will be written in very bold letters.
During his time at the club, Toni Kroos won 22 titles in total, including 4 UEFA Champions Leagues, 5 Club World Cups, 4 European Super Cups, 4 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey, and 4 Spanish Super Cups.
Moreover, the German was a key part of the team in all the campaigns that led to the accumulation of these titles, and one can argue that his presence in the midfield was vital for Real Madrid to be as successful as they have been in recent years.
Another player who has contributed a lot to these successes for the club has been Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the White club in 2018, and thus shared the pitch with Toni Kroos for four years. Both these players were key members of the squad that won the three-peat under Zinedine Zidane.
Ronaldo and Kroos also enjoyed a good relationship during their time at the club, and as Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Portuguese superstar is one of the most prominent footballing personalities to have reacted to the German’s retirement.
Reacting to Kroos’ social media post announcing his retirement, Ronaldo wrote: “For everything and so much more, Toni. What an honor to share the field with you. All the best for the future.”
With Kroos, and possibly Nacho, leaving the club at the end of this season, Real Madrid will have only Lucas Vazquez, Dani Carvajal, and Luka Modric in their current team who were there when the Merengues won the three-peat.
But the German’s announcement today would definitely make the fans realize that, like Ronaldo, Ramos, Casemiro, and Benzema, etc., these remaining players will also depart the club in the coming few years, and they should enjoy seeing them play for their club for as long as they are present.