Toni Kroos: "Real Madrid is the greatest challenge"

Recently crowned world champion Toni Kroos is embarking on a new challenge in the Spanish capital after being unveiled as a Real Madrid player last Thursday. Having won the double with Bayern Munich last season and the triple in 2013 then lifted football’s most coveted trophy at this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the 24-year-old midfielder has now joined Spain’s most successful club, who won their record tenth Champions League title in May.

Kroos has been a permanent fixture in European football since first featuring at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2006. The following year, he was part of the Germany team that finished third at the FIFA U-17 World Cup under coach Heiko Herrlich and was awarded the Golden Ball for player of the tournament. He played for Die Mannschaft at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before winning the biggest prize of all four years later with Joachim Löw’s side. This summer’s triumph means Kroos has already won all of world football’s major honours except the European Championship.

In DFB.de’s Interview of the Week with reporter Maximilian Geis, Toni Kroos discusses Germany’s celebrations at the Brandenburg Gate, the reasons behind his departure from Bayern and his new life in Madrid.

DFB.de: Toni Kroos, the past few days must have been particularly hectic for you, what with being welcomed home to Berlin and Munich then being presented to your new fans in Madrid. How has it all been for you?

Toni Kroos: Of course the past few days have absolutely flown by, but I took everything at my own pace so I knew what to expect.

DFB.de: Let’s start with the World Cup. What do you make it of it all now that a few days have passed?

Kroos: When we attended the “Fest der Weltmeister” (“World Champions’ Celebration”) in Düsseldorf with all of Germany’s previous winners, I kept hearing the phrase: “Once you’re a world champion, you remain one forever.” That’s how I see it, so I think you can only fully grasp it with time. Nowadays everyone knows the big names from World Cup teams of the past and I’m sure the same will be true of us in a couple of decades’ time. I’m delighted about that and it makes me very proud.

DFB.de: You remained in the background during the initial trophy celebrations. Is it safe to assume you’re not a party animal?

Kroos: (laughs) Yeah, I prefer to keep my feelings to myself. I was completely shattered straight after the match because it was such a tense and close-fought game, but we still managed to let our hair down that night. At the end of the day, it’s the biggest trophy any footballer can win.

DFB.de: That made your celebrations at the Brandenburg Gate seem all the more exuberant. What prompted that?

Kroos: I grabbed the microphone and serenaded Miro Klose because he’s just a great guy and an incredible footballer. I set up two goals for him in my first match for Bayern’s first team and we’ve been friends ever since, even though I was only 17 then and he was already one of Munich’s most experienced players. What impresses me is how he’s managed to stay so modest and grounded despite being the leading goalscorer in World Cup history with an incredibly successful career under his belt. There’s something else I want to say about those celebrations though…

DFB.de: Go ahead…

Kroos: Being accused of mocking the Argentinians was ridiculous. All professional sportspeople celebrate after winning, but that doesn’t mean you’re gloating at your opponents. It’s a shame some people criticised us instead of sharing our delight after such a great win.

DFB.de: From Berlin you made your way to Mallorca before heading to Madrid the next day. When did you decide to make the move from Munich to the Spanish capital?

Kroos: I first considered it when my contract talks with Bayern ground to a halt. Bayern have always come first for me so I’d never previously considered speaking with other clubs. But when we couldn’t come to an agreement and several of the world’s biggest clubs showed an interest in signing me, I decided it might be time to try something new. Winning the World Cup gave me the final push I needed, and I realised I wanted a change.

DFB.de: One reason often cited for your move is your desire for greater appreciation. Is that accurate?

Kroos: Quite honestly, no. For the last few years I’ve been playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs, often as a regular starting player for different coaches, and I’ve always made a contribution at major competitions. In addition to that, Bayern have always taken good care of me; our coach Pep Guardiola and sporting director Matthias Sammer have always been important points of contact for me and they’ve always had confidence in me. The fans consistently supported me too, which is why I thanked them on my homepage as soon as my transfer was announced. What I wanted most of all was a fresh challenge.

DFB.de: What made you decide to join Real Madrid?

Kroos: Real Madrid is the greatest challenge of all. The club is famous across the globe; I’ve had people from all over the world wishing me well for my move. I was particularly pleased to get a message from Jupp Heynckes, as I have so much to thank him for and he once worked at Real himself. Thousands of people came to the unveiling presentation and club president Florentino Perez had to stop his speech several times because of the crowd’s enthusiasm. There’s nothing like it anywhere else. After my previous clubs in Greifswald, Rostock, Leverkusen and Munich, this club is the perfect place for me right now.

DFB.de: You’re not joining Real under ideal circumstances as you’ll face intense competition within the squad, and by winning their tenth European Cup or Champions League trophy, Madrid have finally achieved something that has eluded them for years. Aren’t you concerned that the players might be too satisfied with their achievements to meet the challenge of another season?

Kroos: That’s exactly why those in charge at Madrid are bringing new players in; they want to give the squad fresh impetus, plus no team has yet managed to defend their Champions League title. Perhaps it will help if new players come in wanting to prove themselves and both challenge and support the more established squad members. I’m really looking forward to playing with guys like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and my Germany team-mate Sami Khedira. I also know what it’s like to face competition from my time at Bayern – it’s an integral part of being a professional athlete. Incidentally, we won the double at Munich the year after winning the treble. That shows we footballers are never satisfied and always want to win every possible trophy we can.

DFB.de: You’ll no longer get to play with Philipp Lahm for either club or country – did his international retirement surprise you?

Kroos: Of course, I don’t know the exact reasons for his decision as every player has to make those choices for himself, but Philipp has now played in three World Cups, he’s been named in the team of the tournament at all of them and has now lifted the World Cup trophy as a captain. I’m grateful to him for the time we spent playing together and I totally understand and respect his decision.