Veteran German midfielder Toni Kroos announced on Thursday, February 22 that he will be coming out of retirement from international football to represent his national side in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024.
The 34-year-old Real Madrid midfielder caused quite a shock amongst football fans with his decision, when the majority of the speculation had been around his retirement from football at the end of the current season. Kroos has been one of the most successful players for his national side and will be a big asset for coach Julian Nagelsmann in the European Championship.
Kroos announced his retirement from international football back in 2021 after Germany’s 2-0 defeat to England in that year’s European Championship. The four-time World Champions, Germany, have suffered from a poor run of form, which only gets highlighted by their consecutive group stage exits from the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.
The 2014 winners have already changed their coach thrice since the beginning of their dire run of forms, with the current team being placed under the charges of former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Kroos took to his Instagram and announced that he would be returning to national team duty after he was “asked by the federal coach”.
“People, short and painless: I will play for Germany again in March. Why? Because I was asked by the federal coach, I’m in the mood and I’m sure that with the team at the European Championship, much more is possible than most believe right now!”, Kroos caption said.
Having a more on-and-off involvement in a overall younger Real Madrid side in their last two campaigns, Kroos’s national team call only adds to the hopes of the Los Blancos fans of seeing the veteran player’s extended stay at the club.
Real Madrid have already hinted that their other veteran playmaker, Luka ModriÄ, is set to depart from the club at the end of the season and many believed that Kroos wouol only follow in the footsteps of his partner. However, this decision paves a new way for the player, with chances of him renewing his current contract, which expires on June 2024, for at least one more year.
With Toni Kroos joining the likes of Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, and Ilkay Gundogan in the midfield, hosts Germany will be looking to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming Euro that is set to begin on June 15.
