The news had the effect of a bomb this Tuesday. While an extension at Real Madrid was sometimes mentioned by the Spanish press, the announcement of Toni Kroos’ retirement took everyone by surprise. The German midfielder, who arrived in the Iberian capital in 2014, won everything with the Merengues and became an absolute legend. Winner of the World Cup in 2014 with the Mannschaft, the former Bayern Munich player also ranks very high in the pantheon of the best midfielders in the history of football. As a result, a wave of tributes to the 34-year-old took place this Tuesday. Obviously adored by his teammates at Real Madrid, Kroos was praised by many of his comrades. This is particularly the case for many of his young teammates.
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On Instagram, Vinicius declared his love for Madrid number 8: “awesome. That’s the closest word I could find to define you, Toni. And yet, it’s far from what you deserve. Today is a sad day for me and for the madridistas. But it’s a terrible day for the ball, for football. Knowing that soon we won’t have you anymore. You could give so much more, so much more. But I understand you. Thank you for every pass, for every advice and for allowing us to learn so much over the years. We love you ! Let’s go to 15 (Champions League) for you.» Same story with Aurélien Tchouaméni on Instagram as well: “thank you for everything, Maestro. It was simply amazing to witness your greatness every day. One of the best of all time! I feel blessed to be able to say that I played with you in my life. Another reason to give everything for this 15th CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. Thanks to you.» As a reminder, Real Madrid faces Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in the Champions League final.
