FINALS WON’T BE A KROOS NOW I’M BACK
TONI KROOS has warned desperate German fans he won’t be their Euro 2024 saviour after coming out of international retirement ahead of their opening game with Scotland.
The 34-year-old veteran Real Madrid playmaker answered an SOS from Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann to return after three years out.
He will line up in Lyon on Saturday against France before the Germans host Holland next week.
Germany had a miserable year and lost their last two friendlies in November to Turkey and Austria. They have a new-look squad for this month’s warm-up games.
And Kroos has urged fans not to automatically assume his return will change everything.
He pointed out: “Look, I can’t do it alone.
“But given my position and the way I play, it’s clear that I have to take a certain amount of responsibility and take control.
“I’m trying to do what I’ve always done and help the team. I’ve played with most of the other players and know them personally.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the team’s current situation.
“The positives outweigh the negatives.
“It feels good to be back with the squad. I always felt like the intensity was good in training here, but it just didn’t transfer across to the games.
“A good week of training is vital because we’ve a lot of new players. It’s important to get a good feeling and gain confidence.
“If we play with the same intensity against France, that’s good, but it is not a guarantee to win.
“I haven’t thought about the time frame of staying on after the Euros. Obviously, I want to reach a couple of the knockout rounds at our own tournament.
“There are a lot of things that aren’t clear about what will happen after the European Championships. I don’t even have a club contract for next season. I have to sort that out first.”