Kroos Under Direct Pressure at Bernabéu: Signals Farewell to Real Madrid

Real Madrid faces a significant pending dilemma for the next season: renewing contracts of players whose contracts expire this season. However, each of these cases is entirely different.

Toni Kroos is unquestionably earning his renewal with Real Madrid. The German ‘8’ has reclaimed his starting spot and become one of Carlo Ancelotti’s undisputed players, consistently performing in every match this season. But his impressive form in the white jersey has caught the attention of the German national team.

One of the main advocates for this move is Antonio Rüdiger. The German ’22’ argues for Toni Kroos to return to the Mannschaft considering his outstanding performance since the start of the 23/24 season: “It’s home, and we want to have the best players there, and at the moment, Toni is one of the best players in Germany and Real Madrid,” said the defender in an interview with Kicker magazine.

Rüdiger didn’t hold back his praise for his compatriot: “We’re talking about a player who has been at Madrid for 10 years and commands great respect. That has to be earned, and for me, it’s an incredible achievement.” That seems to be another reason to count on him during the upcoming Euro Cup this summer in Germany, but the Madrid defender knows that Kroos “will make a decision for himself.”

Everything is up in the air While “many agree” that Toni Kroos should return to the German national team, which he left behind in 2021 to focus fully on his last seasons as a Real Madrid player, his return to the Mannschaft could eliminate all possibilities of renewal with the white club. Physical condition is one of the reasons.

Despite his excellent performance, Kroos still suffers from some issues from his last pubalgia injury, from which he has not fully recovered. Furthermore, his situation would become similar to that of Luka Modric: the Croatian ’10’ has seen reduced playing time due to his age and the physical toll of international breaks and tournaments. Kroos, if he returns to Germany for the Euro Cup, would jeopardize his ‘almost guaranteed’ renewal with the white club.