Tony Kroos to retire this summer

[LoyalAndBlue82]

Where does he rank in the greats?

Surprised he's calling it a day at "only" 34

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[BSOI]

Some player
What a career

 

[PeteGibbons]

An almost quietly excellent career.

No doubts he could have played for any team in the world for a few years.

 

[ICA_86]

Great career.

And kept the same haircut and the same white and blue Adidas Adipure boots since 2012, to the point where Adidas still specially manufacture them just for him.

A wonderful footballer.

 

[Ataturk]

The only East German ever to win the World Cup.

 

[WinkieWATP]

A magnificent player, doesn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserves imo.

 

[WinkieWATP]

Great career.

And kept the same haircut and the same white and blue Adidas Adipure boots since 2012, to the point where Adidas still specially manufacture them just for him.

A wonderful footballer.

Is that true about the boots?

 

[iain18(7)2]

A truly wonderful player. Part of an iconic midfield trio that will be talked about for years to come.

 

[Blootoonboy]

I thought he signed a new 1 year deal?

What a player though, one of the greats.

 

[ICA_86]

Is that true about the boots?

Aye.

They brought out a special ‘TK’ remake back in 2023, but Adidas specially made those boots for him for the last decade.

 

[WinkieWATP]

A truly wonderful player. Part of an iconic midfield trio that will be talked about for years to come.

A tremendous trio who despite winning three CLs on the spin never seem to get the same credit as Barca’s three of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets for some reason.

 

[Blootoonboy]

Funny that!

 

[iain18(7)2]

A tremendous trio who despite winning three CLs on the spin never seem to get the same credit as Barca’s three of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets for some reason.

Modric Kroos Casemiro

Busquets Xavi Iniesta

Miss the days of watching them battle it out against each other!

 

[MartinS93]

What a loss to the game that is.

 

[bud_light]

The only East German ever to win the World Cup.

That’s a cool fact that

 

[Angus Young]

The only East German ever to win the World Cup.

Including the 1954 squad?

That's mad

 

[Wazza]

Probably doesn't want to end up like Schweinsteiger did, I thought he was done for last season but has been brilliant this one.

 

[yarrumdavid01]

Leaves at the top and a winner, admirable.

 

[bluetonic]

The only East German ever to win the World Cup.

Great intel!

 

[bluetonic]

Including the 1954 squad?

That's mad

Would that team not be West Germany?

 

[Angus Young]

Would that team not be West Germany?

Yeah but the players would all have been born before the division.

Many people born in the East would have fled West to avoid the Soviet advance.

 

[bluetonic]

Yeah but the players would all have been born before the division.

Yeah true

 

[Deco1978]

Surprised at that, still able to boss the midfield.

 

[G74Bear]

We want one more year

 

[HMS.Temple.Garden]

there had been talk of retirement at the end of last season.

any word on Modric staying or leaving?

 

[Wazza]

The only East German ever to win the World Cup.

The last DDR team, in a pub in Berlin:



This is an interesting read, never knew Ballack was East German:

East German players after 1990

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams. This blog was one of them. It was my Russia All-Time Team her...

soccerfootballwhatever.blogspot.com

 

[Ataturk]

The last DDR team, in a pub in Berlin:



This is an interesting read, never knew Ballack was East German:

East German players after 1990

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams. This blog was one of them. It was my Russia All-Time Team her...

soccerfootballwhatever.blogspot.com

Random fact: Oleg Kuznetsov was also born in the DDR.

 

[Bluetill]

What a player very seldom wasted a pass and run the midfield for Germany and Real Madrid ,played the position the way it should be played ,a world class player.

 

[Kirkhillbear]

Very very surprised at that, could easily play on for another 2 or 3 years at the top level

 

[Ashton]

Outstanding player. Just never as good as partner Modric.

 

[devilman]

He is a genuinely superb player. He always did say he wanted to bow out at Madrid and wanted to do it at a certain level so he's just stuck to his guns. He probably could play on for a couple more years but guess he doesn't want to take the chance he ends up having a poor one or something.

Shame, could have come to Rangers for a final stroll.

 

[stefanovitch]

Is it true that he owns or has access to a private jet and flies straight back to Madrid after every away game (that requires a flight) so he can be there in the morning for his kids?

 

[Ataturk]

Including the 1954 squad?

That's mad

I’ll be honest I never considered 1954 because I meant the actual DDR, established after the war.

But it seems Kroos is the only one.

From a nine year-old thread on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/2anwu3/is_toni_kroos_is_the_only_east_german_to_ever_win

 

[Ataturk]

Is it true that he owns or has access to a private jet and flies straight back to Madrid after every away game (that requires a flight) so he can be there in the morning for his kids?

George Weah used to commute from NYC to Monaco via Concorde for every game.

https://www.followfollow.com/forum/threads/george-weah-article-in-four-four-two-magazine.203850/

 

[0028]

Where does he rank in the greats?

Surprised he's calling it a day at "only" 34

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Sure I read he said he would only play on if Madrid offered him a deal, so I assume they haven't!

Great player.

 

[ozo]

great player and seems like a good guy too - one of the few big players to call out the Qataris and Saudis and their influence on modern football

 

[Davie Weir]

Incredible career and no better way to sign off from club football than winning the champions league.

 

[ssblue]

Modric Kroos Casemiro

Busquets Xavi Iniesta

Miss the days of watching them battle it out against each other!

Not sure they ever did?

 

[DerHammer88]

Is that true about the boots?

Aye, he wore Adipures for a number of years then Adidas stopped making them.

Adidas re-released them last year.

 

[The Sasa Shuffle]

The only East German ever to win the World Cup.

I love trivia like this, sends me down a Wiki rabbit hole.

Helmut Schön was also East German, but only won it as manager.

 

[AMC]

Not sure they ever did?

Just checked, looks like there was just one season, 2014-15, Kroos signed in 2014, Xavi was gone by 2015.

 

[Andy26]

One of my favourite players of all time, he did say he’d bow out at the top. Always thought he will only get the credit he deserves when he retires.

Dream scenario for him would be to retire after Germany win the euros but that won’t happen.

 

[ssblue]

Just checked, looks like there was just one season, 2014-15, Kroos signed in 2014, Xavi was gone by 2015.

Casemiro was with Porto in 14/15.

 

[ssblue]

I live trivia like this, sends me down a Wiki rabbit hole.

Helmut Schön was also East German, but only won it as manager.

And has a belter of the name.

 

[AMC]

Casemiro was with Porto in 14/15.

So he was, I only saw that he signed for Real Madrid in 2013, didn’t check that he was out on loan for that season.

 

[Slide Away]

Superb player.

What a way to bow out as well with a potential 15th European Cup/CL trophy for his club.

 

[Mustang mad]

Great career.

And kept the same haircut and the same white and blue Adidas Adipure boots since 2012, to the point where Adidas still specially manufacture them just for him.

A wonderful footballer.

Now that is a stat. Where did you see that?

been some player though, some career. Another one who maybe gets overshadowed by the stars around him, but is invaluable to the team.

 

[MrJ]

Great player
I thought he would have wanted to play next season with Mbpappe up front with Bellingham & Vini Jr

 

[GovanFront4]

Yeah but the players would all have been born before the division.

Many people born in the East would have fled West to avoid the Soviet advance.

He's the only player of East German nationality by birth to win it. How could players born before the division have East German passports if the state didn't exist.

 

[Wordy_Rappinghood]

Him and Modric together.
The triumph of players who put talent and team before ego.

Hope he enjoys the time with his family now - he's earned it!