Shortly before half past ten on Tuesday morning, the German national soccer team’s bus passed the entrance to the DFB campus in Frankfurt. The new design he got can’t be missed. Next to a large picture of Franz Beckenbauer, who died on January 7th, it is written in large letters: “Thank you, Franz. 1945 – 2024. And forever”. Beckenbauer, world champion as a player and coach, was a shining light in German football. When he entered the room, he filled it. Eyes and cameras were always on him. Him, the Emperor, as he was called.
Now the German national players of today’s generation do not have the status that Beckenbauer once had. But one or the other is already attracting a lot of attention. Toni Kroos, for example, the 2014 world champion, who is now back in the DFB squad after retiring in 2021 – and has been in the spotlight not just since the first training session before the international matches against France (March 23) and the Netherlands (March 26).
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Kroos, 34 years old, is essentially the new driving force of a recently weak national team that is finally getting on track before the home European Championship after defeats against Turkey (2:3) and Austria (0:2) in November last year want – and also have to. Kroos should help turn the mood around.
These days, how well the Real Madrid star is suited to off the pitch is evident in many ways. The new jerseys that were recently launched are currently selling best with his name and number on the back, the eight. When supplier Adidas brought jerseys to the people at the Roßmarkt in Frankfurt/Main on Monday afternoon, it was Kroos who handed out the white, but above all the much criticized pink and purple dress, together with Elias “Eli” Nerlich, one of them Live streamers and web video producers.
Alone on the podium
Toni Kroos has the pulling power that national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team apparently lacked. When he sat down on the podium on Tuesday afternoon in the media room, which had not been so full for an international match in a long time, the only person sitting next to him was Franziska Wülle, the spokeswoman for the DFB selection. Otherwise he had the stage to himself. Another player, as usual, was not present. This also illustrates the importance of the 106-time national player, who was in a good mood.
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The team had previously trained for almost an hour and a half. In front of numerous media representatives, but also some fans. After the warm-up, which Kroos completed alongside Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich, who will probably also act as a defensive partner alongside him in the first international match against France, there were small exercises: passing, winning the ball – the unit was planned in detail. And also very intense, after the national coach had to forcefully ask for a little more speed shortly at the beginning.
Toni Kroos in the national team’s new away jersey
What: Adidas
Kroos said after training that he was happy to be back. And that he is in good spirits about the coming days and games. It is now important to take the intensity that he felt in the first training session into the game. According to Kroos, this has probably been missing in the recent past.
When asked about the European Championships and the goal with the team, Kroos replied that it would be presumptuous to say, “It is only a success if we win the title. My self-image is to want to be successful. But what ultimately constitutes success depends on the tournament. I would definitely like to see games in the knockout rounds.” It is currently still unclear whether he will continue to play for Germany beyond the European Championships. He didn’t think about a time limit when it came to his comeback in the DFB uniform, said Kroos, whose return is welcomed by the majority of experts. Also from Uli Hoeneß.
„Titanic-Signal“
“At the moment I welcome the fact that Toni Kroos is coming back because we don’t have that big of a choice of personalities at the moment. The return of a very experienced, very successful player may have been a good decision,” said the honorary president of FC Bayern on Tuesday at an event in Munich. At the end of last year, Hoeneß spoke out against a comeback by the Rio world champion. “That would be quite a Titanic signal,” he said at the time. Kroos is “an outstanding footballer, but I don’t think he can save German football.” The national coach has now decided to bring in a lot of young players. “In such an environment,” said Hoeneß, “an experienced player like Toni Kroos might be the right one.”
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Confronted with Uli Hoeneß’s new statements, Kroos said that he would not make his decisions dependent on who would speak out, how and when. “Of course you tend to be happy when people welcome it and don’t reject it. What was important to me was how the people involved think,” said Kroos and, referring to Hoeneß, added: “I hope that I can confirm the statements in this case.” He also let it be known that he had a lack of peace with the issue Appreciation closed. The fact that he would feel this especially in Germany has been heard again and again in recent years. “I don’t think I have to prove anything to anyone again. I’m not interested in appreciation either. I believe I can help the team.”
Kroos said that his 87-year-old grandfather is now also convinced of this. He is a great caregiver for both him and his brother Felix, a former Bundesliga professional from Werder Bremen and Union Berlin. The brothers regularly let you know this in their podcast “Einfach mal Luppen”. When WELT asked how Grandpa reacted to his comeback for Germany, Kroos replied with a wink that he wasn’t that enthusiastic about it at first. He would have preferred that an agreement be reached with Real Madrid first. “I had to convince Grandpa,” said Kroos, “but now he’s very happy.”
