Everything on Toni, Kroos for everyone: clock, metronome, compass – the man from Greifswald determines the direction and rhythm.
Photo: imago/Bagu Blanco
Toni Kroos has the “title in mind”. The footballer from Greifswald has been playing with this idea not just since the start of the European Championship, but since February. Otherwise the 34-year-old would certainly not have decided on a comeback at this point and would have put on the national jersey again almost three years after his retirement. The decisive factor for the midfielder’s return to the DFB team was the change carried out by national coach Julian Nagelsmann at the time.
The Spaniards restarted a year earlier, and Luis de la Fuente became national coach there in March 2023. The 63-year-old revealed nothing new with regard to the upcoming quarter-final against Germany this Friday when he said that “at this level only details decide.” In doing so, however, he provided a good reason why his team is starting slightly favored in Stuttgart: a twelve-month lead in building a team is – given the limited working hours that national teams have – very valuable.
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The doubts conquered
Kroos’ thoughts revolve more than ever around the Henri Delaunay Cup. “We have set ourselves the goal of winning the tournament,” he said before the quarter-finals. The German team’s previous appearances at the European Championships particularly confirmed his belief. »When people looked at this tournament beforehand, there were already very big doubts, from all sides. We have achieved the minimum goal, the European Championship is no longer a catastrophe. He himself wants the maximum, because every game could be his last. At the beginning of June he ended his club career by winning the Champions League in the Real Madrid jersey.
Clock, metronome, compass – there have been many comparisons for the football strategist. The message is always the same: Kroos determines the direction and rhythm of the game. For the DFB team, his experience is particularly crucial: While others become hectic under generic pressure, all he needs is a simple pass, a few meters across or back, as well as a calming gesture – and the danger is over. The opponent knows that too. “The ball always runs over him when the Germans have the ball,” said Spanish striker Joselu and praised his former Madrid teammate: “Toni is of fundamental importance for Germany and was also for Real.” This is what they have in common at the European Championships same goal. Spain also wants to win the title, their first in twelve years. And so Joselu said: “I think Friday is the last game for Toni.”
Spain’s “best version”
There are enough reasons for Spanish self-confidence. At the European Championships, the team is the only one to have won all four games so far, creating the most chances to score and only conceding one goal. In 19 games so far under Luis de la Fuente, the Spaniards have left the pitch as winners 16 times. For example, the coach’s points average would have been enough to win the Bundesliga title nine times in the past ten years. And according to de la Fuente, Spain “didn’t even see the best version” of itself. And even a very long look back doesn’t make things any better for the German hosts: no DFB team has managed to win against Spain in a competitive game for 36 years.
Julian Nagelsmann would have at least qualified for the Champions League with his previous points average in the Bundesliga. However, this applies to his entire time as national coach since last October. Since the change he made, the record has been ready for a title: eight games, six wins, two draws. However, because this only happened around four months ago, everything is not yet as coordinated as Nagelsmann would like. Both in the round of 16 against Denmark and in the last group game after falling behind against the Swiss, he saw phases “in which the team wanted to force things too much. As a result, the staggering is no longer so perfect and we give the opponent too much space.” In addition to the learning effect, Nagelsmann of course also relies on Kroos: “He is a great support for all the players on the field.”
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