Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has announced his resignation from international service at Germany.
The 31-year-old entered Euro 2020 with lots of speculation about his future, with many reports suggesting that the tournament would be Kroos’ last on the international stage.
He played every minute of Germany’s four matches in the tournament, including the 2-0 defeat to England in the last 16, and Kroos has now confirmed in a statement that that match was his final for his country.
“I have played for Germany 106 times. There will be no one else,” he wrote on Twitter. “I really wanted to, and I gave my all, so that there would have been 109 performances in the end and that this great title, the European Championships, would have been added at the end.
“I made the decision to quit after this tournament a long time ago. It had been clear to me for a long time that I would not be available for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mainly because I want to focus entirely on my goals with Real Madrid in the coming years.
pic.twitter.com/A1zrTrtoFK
– Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) July 2, 2021
“In addition, from now on I will consciously allow myself breaks that have not existed for the last 11 years as a national team player. In addition, as husband and father, I would also like to be there for my wife and three children.
“It was a great honor for me to be able to wear this shirt for so long. I did it with pride and passion. Thank you to all the fans and supporters who carried and supported me with their applause and toast. And thank you to all the critics for the extra motivation.
“In the end, I want to thank Jogi Low so much. He made me a national team player and world champion. He trusted me. We have written a success story for a long time. It was an honor for me, do it well – and good luck to Hansi Flick.”
Kroos made his debut for Germany on March 3, 2010 in a friendly against Argentina and came off the bench just a few weeks after his 20th birthday.
Kroos debuted in 2010 / Boris Streubel / Getty Images
He made four deputies in Germany’s run for third place at the 2010 World Cup, after which Kroos was promoted to a regular start under Low – a role he held almost permanently until his retirement 11 years later.
One of the best performers at the 2014 World Cup, which Germany managed to win, Kroos never managed to get the Eurotrophy, and came closest in Die Mannschaften’s run to the semifinals in 2016.
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