Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos announced on Tuesday that he will retire permanently after the European Cup finals scheduled in his country next summer.
Kroos, 34, wrote in an emotional statement on Instagram: “My football career will end this summer, after the European Cup. “As I have always said, Real Madrid is my last team and it will be so,” stressing that his ambition has always been “to finish the season at the best level.”
Reports had spoken about Kroos entering into negotiations with Real Madrid to renew his contract for a year, suggesting that he would comply with the club’s conditions and reduce his salary for the renewal, following in the footsteps of his Croatian colleague Luka Modric.