Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has disclosed his attempts to dissuade Toni Kroos from retiring at the end of the season.
The legendary German midfielder will conclude his illustrious career after Euro 2024 in his homeland, marking the end of a remarkable journey at the highest echelons of European football.
Throughout the 2023/24 season, Kroos remained an indispensable figure for Ancelotti at the Bernabeu, contributing significantly as Los Blancos reclaimed the La Liga title and progressed to the Champions League final, where they are set to face Borussia Dortmund next week.
“As we have said many times, legends have to choose their destiny. We have to respect Toni’s decision and we have to say goodbye to him as best we can. I respect his decision a lot because he is a man with balls. Replacing him is very complicated but impossible,” Ancelotti reflected.
He further elaborated on Kroos’s determination to bid farewell at the pinnacle of his career, stressing the difficulty in replacing such a talent but expressing confidence in the squad’s depth and character.
“On a technical level, it is very difficult to find him, but it is not what we are thinking,” Ancelotti admitted. “He sees it the same, he is calm and focused on what he has to do. He is a German, and it is very difficult to change his mind. There were no tears in the talk; he is very convinced.”
Despite the sentimental farewell to Kroos, Ancelotti highlighted the club’s promising midfield talents like Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde, suggesting a bright future even in Kroos’s absence.
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