Felix Kroos calls it a career: "Now real life begins."
Toni Kroos' younger brother took to social media to announce his retirement from football on Tuesday.
One year after transferring back down to Germany's 2. Bundesliga, Felix Kroos felt as if all the signs were pointing him in a certain direction. Unable to assist Eintracht Braunschweig in being immediately relegated back to the third footballing tier, the Kroos was then given his outright release on July 1st.
"I make this decision with full conviction and a smile on my face," the 30-year-old announced on his instagram feed, "now real life begins for me and I couldn't be more excited."
On a special episode of "Einfach nur Luppen"--the footballing podcast in which Felix and brother Toni discuss the sport--Felix is said to cite the constant competitive pressures of playing professional football and remark that he saw no way back to the top footballing level after the events of the past year.
A career spanning 13 years saw Kroos make 154 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga for Hansa Rostock, Union Berlin, and Eintracht Braunschweig. He made 80 career appearances in the top flight for Union and Werder Bremen.
Kroos referenced credited his time with the two Bundesliga clubs for "making me the man I am today" on his instagram feed. He also spoke passionately about playing for both Werder and Union, saying "two hearts can beat in one chest."