Toni Kroos announces retirement from football
| Toni Kroos | Антон Зайцев CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos is hanging up his boots after this summer's European Championship.
The 34-year-old midfielder announced his decision to retire from football on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon.
Kroos has decided not to renew his contract with Real Madrid, which expires at the end of the season.
“July 17th, 2014 - the day of my presentation at Real Madrid, the day that changed my life. My life as a footballer - but especially as a person. It was the start of a new chapter at the biggest club in the world,” Kroos wrote.
"After 10 years, at the end of the season this chapter comes to an end. I will never forget that insolent successful time! I would particularly like to thank everyone that welcomed me with an open heart and trusted me. But especially I would like to thank you, dear Madridistas, for your affection and your love from the first day until the last one.
“At the same time this decision means that my career as an active footballer will end this summer after the Euro championship. As I have always said: Real Madrid is and will be my last club. I am happy and proud, that in my mind I found the right timing for my decision and that I could choose it by my own. My ambition was always to finish my career at the peak of my performance level. From now on there is only one leading thought: a por la 15!!! HALA MADRID Y NADA MAS!”
Kroos won the Champions League, the Bundesliga (three times), the DFB-Pokal (three times), the DFL-Supercup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with Bayern before joining Real Madrid in 2014.
With the Spanish giants, he has won the Champions League (four times), La Liga (four times, including this season), Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España (four times, including this season), UEFA Super Cup (three times) and FIFA Club World Cup (five times).
Kroos was also part of the Germany squad that won the 2014 World Cup.
He now has the chance to win the Champions League again with Real Madrid, who face Borussia Dortmund in the final, before heading to Euro 2024 with Germany.
The Real Madrid midfielder had announced his international retirement in 2021, but returned for this summer's Euro on home soil.
