Germany\u2019s Toni Kroos, 34, will retire after this year\u2019s European Championship, the Real Madrid midfielder announced on Tuesday, adding that next month\u2019s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund will be his last game for the Spanish club.
\n\u201cMy career as an active footballer will end this summer after the Euro championship. As I have always said: Real Madrid is and will be my last club,\u201d Kroos said in a statement on Instagram.
\n\u201cJuly 17th, 2014 \u2013 the day of my presentation at Real Madrid, the day that changed my life. My life as a footballer \u2013 but especially as a person.
\n\u201cIt was the start of a new chapter at the biggest club in the world. After 10 years, at the end of the season this chapter comes to an end. I will never forget this exciting and successful decade!\u201d
\nKroos has made 463 appearances for the club since joining in 2014 and will leave as one of the most decorated players in Real\u2019s 120-year history, winning more than 20 trophies, including four European Cups.
\nIn addition to his titles with Real, the midfielder won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and another Champions League title with Bayern Munich in 2013.
\nKroos is in the final year of his contract with Real and in February announced his return to the Germany side after three years of international retirement and ahead of the June-July European Championship on home soil.
\n\u201cI would particularly like to thank everyone that welcomed me with an open heart and trusted me. But especially I would like to thank you, dear Madridistas, for your affection and your love from the first day until the last one,\u201d Kroos said.
\nReal also issued a lengthy statement praising Kroos and his legacy with the club.
\nHis departure comes after winning LaLiga and ahead of a potential sixth Champions League title at Wembley.
\n\u201cReal Madrid would like to express their gratitude and affection to Toni Kroos, a player who is already part of Real Madrid\u2019s history and who is one of the great legends of our club and of world football,\u201d the club said.
\n\u201cToni Kroos will forever remain in the hearts of all madridistas for the excellence of his football and for being a player who has given everything for this shirt, always representing the values of Real Madrid.\u201d
\n(Reuters)Toni Kroos. retirement, European Championship, Champions League final<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Toni Kroos, 34, announced his retirement after the European Championship and confirmed that the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund will be his last game for Real Madrid. Kroos joined Real Madrid in 2014 and has won over 20 trophies with the club, including four European Cups. He also won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and a Champions League title with Bayern Munich in 2013. Kroos expressed gratitude to the fans and Real Madrid in a statement on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1171,5844,1398,9224,9596,599,3252,10761,3162,6626,2515,336,576,658,6843,187,815,737,9856,421,1827,4347,8857,6305,18],"class_list":["post-12631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","tag-bayern-munich","tag-borussia-dortmund","tag-champions-league","tag-champions-league-final","tag-departure","tag-euro","tag-euro-2024","tag-euro2024","tag-european-championship","tag-fans","tag-february","tag-football","tag-germany","tag-history","tag-instagram","tag-international","tag-real-madrid","tag-retirement","tag-season","tag-sports","tag-statement","tag-summer","tag-trophies","tag-who","tag-world"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n