There are very few Germany players that know Spain as well as Toni Kroos does. Two days before the EURO 2024 quarter-final against them (Friday, 18:00 CEST), the Real Madrid legend spoke to the press about the upcoming opponents, reaching this stage of the tournament and the end of his career.
Toni Kroos on...
...opponents Spain: We’ve looked at Spain in great detail and know what their strengths and weaknesses are. There will be lots of quality on the pitch on both sides on Friday night. Two teams that enjoy having possession will come up against each other. Spain have played good football in this tournament, but so have we. It’s going to be an interesting game and I don’t think it’ll be boring. We’re well-prepared.
...reaching the quarter-finals: There was lots of doubt from all sides with a short while to go until the tournament. We’ve reached our minimum target, I think. Regardless of how this game goes, this tournament will not be considered as a catastrophe for us. Nonetheless, reaching the semi-finals wouldn’t be a bonus because we set ourselves the target of winning the whole thing. We’re in a phase of the tournament that we wanted to be in. Our aim now is to keep on progressing and we believe we can do just that.
…his impending retirement: I’m not nostalgic and I’m not scared about my career ending because it was a decision I made myself. There will be moments where I will miss football. There will never be anything else in life that I’ll be as good at, but I’m looking forward to a new chapter.
...a winning mentality: You can have a winning mentality but it’s hard to pass it on to others. You have to feel it and experience it, and that’s then how belief starts to grow. We’ve gained a lot of belief in our team over the last few weeks. We had some difficult situations. The win over the Netherlands in March gave us a lot of belief because we beat a top team and came from behind too. Our games at EURO 2024 haven’t all been plain sailing, but we’ve continued to take steps in the right direction and that’s important for a team. I think we’re winning – or at least not losing – games that we’d have lost in the past.
...what winning the tournament would mean: The European Championship is the second biggest competition you can win in international football and would obviously mean a lot. I wouldn’t have returned to the national team if this wasn’t the case and I didn’t believe we could win it. It would be a sensational way to finish my career, but I’ve also considered the fact that it might not happen. It would’ve been hard to find a better way to finish my time with Real Madrid. I’m hoping the same will happen now with Germany, without ending up too devastated if it doesn’t work out.
…Rodri: He’s one of Manchester City and Spain’s key players. He always keeps a cool head and never makes mistakes, even under pressure. He gives his team so much and has scored some important goals too in recent times. The difference between us is that he plays as a lone defensive midfielder. I also play in half spaces. I do still think that there a few similarities between us though.
...Lamine Yamal: In recent years players seem to be better now at younger ages, it’s really incredible. He was Barcelona’s most dangerous player last season. We know what he’s capable of and will try to keep him and Nico Williams as quiet as possible. To be that good at 16 is simply unbelievable.
[mmc/dr]
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There are very few Germany players that know Spain as well as Toni Kroos does. Two days before the EURO 2024 quarter-final against them (Friday, 18:00 CEST), the Real Madrid legend spoke to the press about the upcoming opponents, reaching this stage of the tournament and the end of his career.
Toni Kroos on...
...opponents Spain: We’ve looked at Spain in great detail and know what their strengths and weaknesses are. There will be lots of quality on the pitch on both sides on Friday night. Two teams that enjoy having possession will come up against each other. Spain have played good football in this tournament, but so have we. It’s going to be an interesting game and I don’t think it’ll be boring. We’re well-prepared.
...reaching the quarter-finals: There was lots of doubt from all sides with a short while to go until the tournament. We’ve reached our minimum target, I think. Regardless of how this game goes, this tournament will not be considered as a catastrophe for us. Nonetheless, reaching the semi-finals wouldn’t be a bonus because we set ourselves the target of winning the whole thing. We’re in a phase of the tournament that we wanted to be in. Our aim now is to keep on progressing and we believe we can do just that.
…his impending retirement: I’m not nostalgic and I’m not scared about my career ending because it was a decision I made myself. There will be moments where I will miss football. There will never be anything else in life that I’ll be as good at, but I’m looking forward to a new chapter.
...a winning mentality: You can have a winning mentality but it’s hard to pass it on to others. You have to feel it and experience it, and that’s then how belief starts to grow. We’ve gained a lot of belief in our team over the last few weeks. We had some difficult situations. The win over the Netherlands in March gave us a lot of belief because we beat a top team and came from behind too. Our games at EURO 2024 haven’t all been plain sailing, but we’ve continued to take steps in the right direction and that’s important for a team. I think we’re winning – or at least not losing – games that we’d have lost in the past.
...what winning the tournament would mean: The European Championship is the second biggest competition you can win in international football and would obviously mean a lot. I wouldn’t have returned to the national team if this wasn’t the case and I didn’t believe we could win it. It would be a sensational way to finish my career, but I’ve also considered the fact that it might not happen. It would’ve been hard to find a better way to finish my time with Real Madrid. I’m hoping the same will happen now with Germany, without ending up too devastated if it doesn’t work out.
…Rodri: He’s one of Manchester City and Spain’s key players. He always keeps a cool head and never makes mistakes, even under pressure. He gives his team so much and has scored some important goals too in recent times. The difference between us is that he plays as a lone defensive midfielder. I also play in half spaces. I do still think that there a few similarities between us though.
...Lamine Yamal: In recent years players seem to be better now at younger ages, it’s really incredible. He was Barcelona’s most dangerous player last season. We know what he’s capable of and will try to keep him and Nico Williams as quiet as possible. To be that good at 16 is simply unbelievable.
