Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, a former Bayern Munich prospect, will retire after the EURO 2024 tournament and over the course of his career, the veteran has seen plenty of training ground scuffles.
With Niclas Füllkrug and Antonio Rüdiger nearly coming to blows on Monday, Kroos echoed The Wire and said it was all in the game.
“I see it as a good thing when situations like this happen. Although it wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously. The only person Niclas was angry with was the referee. He knows he only has himself to blame if he gets into a duel with Toni,” Kroos said with a laugh (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Kroos will be a leader on this German national team squad and will be counted on to guide young players like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz as they learn the ropes of leading a team in this type of tourney. While the two phenoms garner a lot of attention, Kroos was hesitant to compare them to his teammate in Madrid, Jude Bellingham.
“This team is not a group that’s difficult to lead. I see a big desire and a big eagerness in everyone to win games. We have some players who have not yet played in a major tournament – these are special situations. I think that giving them a certain level of support and a sense of security is always important. In the end, we need enough players who function together in order to be successful. The more players feel comfortable, the better,” said Kroos. “I wouldn’t compare either (Musiala or Wirtz) to Jude. They are different players. They are difficult to tackle for the opponent and don’t have the same physical strength as Jude. I think there aren’t many limits for either of them. They have to stay healthy, keep the desire to win and stay consistent in order to be at the top. Both of them will have problems from time to time. But their attitude means they have a good foundation to be able to play anywhere.”
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on where the German national team stands ahead of its EURO 2024 opener against Scotland? Well, we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, where we hit on the team’s form, Julian Nagelsmann’s potential starting lineup, and why fans are correct to be at least a little concerned. if you want to check it out, you can get it on Spotify or below: