TONI KROOS RETIRED OFFICIALLY FROM FOOTBALL

Germany great Toni Kroos officially bid farewell to football on Sunday, two days after his team's dramatic loss to Spain in the quarterfinals of the European Championship. Mikel Merino's game-winning goal in the last minute of extra time handed Spain a 2-1 victory that knocked out the host nation and ended Kroos' playing career.  "So that's it," Kroos wrote in a post on Instagram on Sunday. "But before I take a break and at least try to realise what happened over the last 17 years I don't want to miss the opportunity to say thank you to everyone accepting me how and who I am."

      Kroos won a host of titles, mostly with Real Madrid, but also with Bayern Munich -- six Champions Leagues, four Spanish leagues, three Bundesligas, three German Cups and one Copa del Rey. The 34-year-old announced in May that he would retire at the end of Euro 2024 and that  meant his 114th match for Germany turned out to be his last. Kroos ended his post with the words: "Last but not least: Thank you Football! You beautiful game. And... you're welcome! Over and out."

Meanwhile, Spain midfielder Pedri has forgiven Toni Kroos for ending his European Championship.

    Kroos publicly apologised to the youngster at the end of an Instagram post and Pedri thanked the 34-year-old. "Thank you Toni Kroos for your message," the 21-year-old Pedri wrote in a post on social media. "This is football and these things happen . Your career and your record remain forever."

The legendary midfielder announced he would retire after this summer's tournament just days before winning a sixth Champions League trophy in his final game for Real Madrid.

Kroos has won four LaLiga titles and five Champions Leagues with Los Blancos since signing from Bayern Munich in 2014, where he also tasted both domestic and European glory.

The 2014 World Cup winner now has the opportunity to depart the international stage to the same fanfare as he did his club career.

Yes, the 34-year-old revealed his plans to finish his career after Euro 2024 with Germany in his homeland with a post on social media.

Kroos originally retired from international football in July 2021 following a 2-0 defeat to England at Euro 2020.  

     He was convinced to reverse his decision in February following talks with head coach Julian Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann has now revealed what was said in those talks, explaining: "It took a period of time to convince him because he wanted to know what we were going to change in the future for the national team.

"He said to me, one of the first phone calls, that he only will be part of the team when he has the feeling that we can win something, with the team."

And then the Germany boss told Kroos his plans to which the midfielder replied "Yes, I will be part of it. Let's rock!'" Kroos then made his first outing for Die Mannschaft in over 1000 days during their 2-0 win over France in March.

     However, the 113-cap international then confirmed his return will only be a brief one and that Euro 2024 will be his last dance. Kroos shocked the football world when he announced his retirement having shown this season that he is still one of the best around. 

      Kroos similarly had been offered the chance to sign a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu but claimed he wanted to leave on a high. He also confessed that he didn't want to feel like a problem at Madrid and considering he'd promised himself that Los Blancos would be his last club, he opted to retire.

On his podcast, Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos said: "Anyone who has listened carefully to me in recent years will have heard me say at some point that the only option for me is to finish my career at Real Madrid.  

According to his top fan who  wrote on the social media platform X.. ‘Toni Kroos hasn’t got the slightest idea of my existence but those words just ripped my heart in two. I’m a complete mess… A second commented: 'Despite the fact that it hurts, I am glad that people are recognising his greatness, our German sniper, Legend!'

A third said: 'Nooooo Toni, stay for one more season please'

A fourth posting: 'This is hurting like hell, wasn't prepared for his departure at all. Thank you for everything Toni Kroos'. Whilst others opted for more emotional tributes, others just shared their thoughts and highlighted some simple facts about the player. With one fan saying it best: 'One of the best midfielders of his generation' another shared: 'The Greatest Midfielder to have ever played the beautiful game. This announcement today has caught every one of us who loves football and has watched Kroos play by surprise’.

    Kroos says further, “My last season at Real means that this summer will be the end. "Even outside of sports, I think it was probably the most difficult decision of my life. Thank God I haven't had to make a more difficult decision in my private life. To start football at the age of six and manage it to a certain extent until you are 34...it is a very, very serious decision if football has always been at the centre of your life. That is why it is not so easy. "I was already a little bit at the point of making this decision a year ago. So it was already made. But I had also been thinking about it for a long time. In retrospect, I have to say that it was the right decision to continue another year, because things have really turned out as I hoped.

     "I stayed healthy, it wasn't too much for my body, it was another full season without injuries. Plus, I had a lot of fun in most of the games, I managed to maintain my level and we were successful as a team. "That's always a big goal when you think about retiring, that you want to retire successfully. Even before the Champions League final, I can say that it has been a successful season. Now, it seems like the perfect time.

      "I never wanted to have the feeling that the club, the fans and the people around me had to tell me 'it's over' at the end, or that I would end up sitting here on the bench for another two or three years. "That, in some ways, wouldn't be worthy of a career, so I'm glad, happy and a little proud that I was able to avoid all those things. It's a nice feeling."

My name is Ayodeji Ismail Adeleke, from the prestigious department of mass communication (Prince Abubakar Audu University),

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