The perfect midfielder deserves a perfect farewell: Kroos can go out as few have done

If Toni Kroos does end his career at the end of the season, he will do so as few have known: on top.

“I respect your decision. Only stupid people do that. It will be very difficult to replace a player of this quality, maybe impossible,” said Carlo Ancelotti when asked what he thought regarding Toni Kroos’ retirement, which seems premature in today’s eyes.

Ancelotti, who was also a brilliant midfielder in his time, turned his back on the game at a similar age. The big difference, however, is that while the Italian, who also made a lasting impression as a coach, was forced to retire by injuries and already thought regarding saying goodbye in his twenties, Kroos is at his full potential in all respects. In fact: perhaps we can even risk it, there has never been such a complex player as today.

Since his game was never based on physicality – which is why his relationship with German football was always strange – he might quite easily spend a few more years at the highest level. Many of the classics like him have done this, just think of Luka Modrić or Andrea Pirlo, but Kroos had a different approach to the question.

He didn’t want to squeeze every drop out of his career at all costs, he felt it was more important to retire on his own terms. Instead of the laws of nature and circumstances beyond his control, he wanted to say that this is it, there is no more. Which, as Ancelotti put it with apt simplicity, requires pumpkins.

However, this fits the image of Kroos as a player. Having strived for perfect timing on the court in his worldly life, it is stylish and authentic to do the same in his private life. The famous German precision, of course.

Speaking of which: Kroos was able to be stereotypically German and an outsider to Germanness at the same time. While his almost preternaturally precise passing game or his measured style down to the last move correspond to the ideas of German precision, on the football field he represented something completely different from the traditional German football culture. It is now strange to think that at the beginning of his career, they practically had no idea how to fit him into a system.

Toni Kroos for Bayern

Kroos, who was considered a huge promise at the youth level – he was chosen as the player of the tournament at both the U17 European Championship and the World Cup – with his performance in Bayer Leverkusen convinced the management of Bayern Munich that it was worth giving him a chance, but the debate continued for years regarding whether what is your real post.

He didn’t defend like a defensive midfielder, he didn’t run as much as a box-to-box player and he wasn’t as quick as a number ten. Many people thought that maybe he would be the closest to the latter, but Kroos was born at the wrong time, since this position has practically completely died out.

Under Pep Guardiola, it turned out that the theories and criticisms were unfounded, Kroos in fact perfectly embodies the modern midfielder, at most he sticks out from the traditions of German football in transition.

However, the relationship between Kroos and Bayern deteriorated, and following the player complained that he was offered much less money than the newly signed Mario Götze, he applied for his transfer. This is how one of the best midfielders in the world came to Real Madrid for a ridiculously low amount (25 million euros), even at the exchange rate of that time.

Of course, it took a few more years for him to become one of the best in the world.

Among the German fans, he was nicknamed Oldalpassz Toni, referring to his mostly immaculate passing statistics. And in his new club at the time, everything was regarding the attacking trio, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and, above all, Cristiano Ronaldo. This short era was mostly determined by the rivalry of the super trios (MSN at Barca, BBC at Real), much less attention was paid to the others.

In addition, while there was at least some debate in Barcelona’s previous great era regarding how much of a role Xavi and Andrés Iniesta played in Lionel Messi’s successes (of course, the less spectacular Sergio Busquets was also there), fewer people asked for Kroos or Modrić in connection with Real Madrid’s victories. Golden balls.

Toni Kroos in the 2024 CL final

What’s more: at first – especially until Casemiro joined the team – Kroos was often accused of being a “defensive midfielder” who might win games without getting his snow-white pants dirty.

Even later, Kroos did not become a hitman who used to slide in on the field, his game was always based on his intelligence in defense. Over time, it also became more and more obvious that his immaculate passing performance was not due to risk avoidance, but to his unique decision-making ability.

In the season behind us, he passed with 91.5%, being among the narrowest elite in progressive passes, movements leading to shots and assists.

Of course, it is also possible that only the victories changed the narrative: Kroos with Real Madrid won the Champions League five times, the Spanish championship four times, and in 2014 he was a key player in the world champion German national team. He has simply acquired too many titles for his added value to be classified as an alibi.

Despite the World Cup title, Kroos’ relationship with the German national team remained strange, as the experts did not spare him following the failures of the following years – especially his elimination from the group as the defending champion.

“He is tired of Kroos’ style of play,” Uli Hoeneß declared in the summer of 2021. “It no longer suits today’s football.”

Toni Kroos in the German national team

“I have no problem with Toni Kroos, but I don’t agree with the way he plays,” said Lothar Matthäus. “We hardly gain territory with his passes and he slows down the rhythm.”

So yes: the usual debates at this time arose as to whether they played German enough, or whether they deviated too far from the right path. And Kroos got fed up with it all, and at the age of 31 he decided to retire from the national team. And we know the rest: the de-Kroosed national team may have made even bigger pretzels at the World Cup than the team four years earlier.

However, he returned to the national team at Julian Nagelsmann’s call, and if everything goes according to Kroos’ plans, he might end on a high in the narrowest sense: with the last trophy missing from his collection. With which not only the collection would become complete, but it would more or less settle the relationship between neither with you nor without you with German football.

However, Kroos is in a special position: he doesn’t even need to win the Euros to be able to say he finished on top. Because it is certain that he will close this chapter in his life with a lot left in the tank, and maybe he might spend years as one of the best midfielders in the world.

This is the rarest form of ending at the top. Most athletes are able to come out on top by winning something – with a slightly worn-out game, perhaps even unexpectedly.

Pete Sampras had not won a Grand Slam for more than two years when he entered the US Open in 2002 as the 17th seed of the tournament. In terms of results, he was back on top, but he was a long way from what we consider that Sampras to be the best ever.

Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos in 2015, but in his final two seasons, he looked nothing like one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

Zinédine Zidane came close to the perfect farewell with a great World Cup in 2006, but Marco Materazzi’s beheading brought an unworthy end to his otherwise unparalleled career.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton

Or we might mention Nico Rosberg, who managed to turn his back on Formula 1 in 2016 as the best version of himself, with the world championship title in his pocket.

But in truth, even he was far from the heights of Kroos: once morest Lewis Hamilton, who was at the top, he would hardly have had much of a chance in the long run. His only chance was to get out at the highest level, and he did.

And for various reasons, most athletes do not manage to close perfectly. Either for reasons beyond their control, such as a serious injury, or they are simply unable to let go voluntarily and will go as far as their bodies can take it. But there are also examples where they are simply not ready to let go of sports and deny the harsh reality.

Seeing them really makes sense of Ancelotti’s statement regarding the pumpkin. There are few things more difficult than turning your back on the sport at an inconceivably high level, giving up so many potential victories.

Although it may be that for some it is a self-evident, natural thing. Let’s say to those who are looking for perfection in everything.