Toni Kroos talks Ronaldo, Real Madrid, retirement – “The pieces fit together”

Despite retiring from professional football, Toni Kroos continues to express his views on various topics, from his personal career decisions to his reflections on Real Madrid.

Recently, during an interview with German tennis player Alexander Zverev, Kroos opened up about his reasons for stepping away from football and shared some insights into his time at Real Madrid.

Kroos, who ended his football career on a high note, explained that he always aimed to leave the sport while still playing at the top level.

Although there might come a time when he questions whether he retired too soon, for now, he remains content with his decision.

“I always wanted to finish at the highest level. Maybe in five years, I’ll say I retired too early, but right now I feel good,” said the former midfielder as quoted by AS.

He humorously noted that if he were a tennis player, he would have had more control over various aspects of his career, such as choosing his team and the people around him.

“If I were a tennis player, I wouldn’t have retired yet. You decide who’s on your team, who sits in the box and who sleeps in your bed the night before the match (laughs).”

Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo

Reflecting on Real Madrid, Kroos praised the club’s strategy in handling transitions within the squad. He acknowledged how the club always had a plan in place when it was time to replace world-class players.

“Real Madrid have always done things very intelligently. Whenever we had to replace world-class players, a young player was already prepared. The pieces fit together,” he noted.

Kroos also spoke about his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, highlighting the Portuguese star’s remarkable work ethic and passion for scoring goals.

According to Kroos, Ronaldo’s drive to constantly improve and score became a positive addiction for him, and it was evident in his daily commitment to training and performance on the pitch.

“Cristiano was always there when I arrived at training and still there when I left. We all want to win titles and score goals, but for him, scoring goals was a positive addiction.”

When it comes to individual awards, Kroos expressed his belief that they are unnecessary in a team sport like football.

He emphasised that the success of any player is deeply connected to the team, and without the support of teammates, individual accomplishments would hold little value.

“Individual awards seem completely unnecessary to me. Football is a team sport. Without the team, the individual would be nothing,” he said.