Toni Kroos: “When you won the Champions League, the next day the president would tell you to go for the next one”

BOADILLA DEL MONTE, SPAIN - DECEMBER 02: Toni Kroos during the presentation of a sponsorship between the Toni Kroos Academy and Allianz at Club las Encinas de Boadilla on December 02, 2025 in Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Toni Kroos offered a reflection on his career and time at Real Madrid during an appearance at the club’s Graduate School ‘White Week’, providing insight into his retirement decision, the club’s culture, and the mentality that defined one of the most successful eras in football history.

A Retirement on His Own Terms Kroos made it clear that stepping away from football was a carefully planned decision, rooted in his desire to leave at the highest possible level. “I retired because I never wanted to reach a point where I didn’t feel as good and started having physical problems. The feeling with the ball never goes away; I still have it.

I was always clear that I wanted to leave the way I deserve, the way the club deserves, and the way I want the fans to remember me, because the last image is very important to me. I’m very happy with this decision; it was how I always wanted. I couldn’t plan to win the Champions League because I had decided that beforehand.

In the end, everything turned out so well, with the Champions League and La Liga—it couldn’t be better. ” The Relentless Mentality of Real Madrid Kroos also shed light on the unique pressure and ambition that defines Real Madrid, where success is never enough. “I was hungry until the very end.