EM Kroos return
“Of course, a bit of an indictment”
Status: 23.02.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Toni Kroos returns to the German national team
Toni Kroos returns to the German national team after almost three years. The 2014 world champion announced this on Thursday via Instagram – including a simple explanation.
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National coach Julian Nagelsmann is happy about Toni Kroos’ return to the national team. Hansi Müller is less euphoric. The ex-national player criticizes the DFB’s approach.
Former national player Hansi Müller criticizes the other midfielders in the DFB selection in view of Toni Kroos’ return. “It is of course to some extent an indictment for the current midfielders that a retired player is now active again,” said Müller to the “Münchner Merkur”. The comeback of the Real professional is “a very explosive and sensitive topic”.
Kroos himself praised Müller highly. “I still think Toni Kroos is a great footballer, otherwise he wouldn’t play for Real Madrid. He is still the Toni Kroos we know. He can also help the team.” However, Müller also sees a risk for the 34-year-old. “The expectations for a player like that are incredibly high when he returns. If things don’t work out for him – for whatever reason – then he’s the big loser,” said Müller, who played 42 international matches and became European champions with Germany in 1980.
After 106 international matches, Kroos resigned from the national team in 2021 after being eliminated in the round of 16 against England at the European Championships. Now he wants to play for the DFB team again in the international matches in France and against the Netherlands in March – and then also at the European Championship in his own country, which begins for the Nagelsmann team on June 14th in Munich against Scotland.
Toni Kroos will play for Germany again at the European Championships
Source: AFP/FRANK AUGSTEIN
“Toni’s return also has a very personal touch,” commented the Spanish newspaper “As”: “One should not forget that the Madrid midfielder’s relationship with his country of birth has not been the best since he packed his bags to move to the Santiago Bernabéu in 2014 to become a legend. (…) Kroos’ return is therefore also a reconciliation with his country. And Germany awaits him with open arms.”
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Record national player Lothar Matthäus demanded a regular place in the German national team for returning Kroos. “We need him as a leader. Toni Kroos has to be set, has to be the coach’s extended arm – together with Gündoğan, Neuer, Goretzka or Müller,” said the 1990 world champion on RTL.
“Fit perfectly into the team”
National coach Julian Nagelsmann does not expect any resistance from the national team against Kroos’ return. “I spoke to many players on the phone in advance and listened carefully to see if anyone might have a problem with Kroos. On the contrary! “Everyone was very positive,” the 36-year-old told “Spiegel” in an interview.
He also sees this attitude in Joshua Kimmich, who, like Kroos, has his favorite position in midfield. The 29-year-old Kimmich would have acted as a right-back even without the return of the five-year-older Real Madrid professional, said Nagelsmann. “With the national team you have to be subordinate. You are a servant for your country. That’s Kimmich.”
Toni Kroos returns to the German national team
Toni Kroos returns to the German national team after almost three years. The 2014 world champion announced this on Thursday via Instagram – including a simple explanation.
Kroos will “fit perfectly into the team we have in mind as a link player in midfield. He will be good for us with his experience and routine,” said the national coach: “Toni has a very clear view of the condition of our national team. With each subsequent conversation I sensed an increasing enthusiasm from him to be there at the home European Championships and to support us, despite his actual resignation.”
