“The countdown has begun. “I want to play the last games of my career as I played the last ones with Real Madrid, with the greatest possible success.”warned Toni Kroos (Greifswald, 1990) before the start of the Euro Cup.
Germany 5-1 Scotland: summary and best plays | Euro Cup (J1)
“It makes me sad when I see Kroos, Modric and Cristiano because I think it could be their last Euro. And I say shame because players like that are not seen often. Modric and Cristiano have been lucky enough to be recognized as the best in the world, but “Kroos has not been appreciated enough considering he is an absolutely fantastic footballer,” he lamented Jose Mourinho in ‘Ran’.
It makes me sad to think that it could be the last Euro for Cristiano, Modric and Kroos, above all, because I think Kroos has not been appreciated enough
Their ‘masterpass’ in the Group Phase is now behind them. Now Kroos will have to learn to play without a net. Each match will be a final, starting with the round of 16 match against Denmark. If Germany falls, it will say goodbye to football forever.
Nagelsmann: “It was difficult for me to convince Kroos to return to Germany”
However, the former Bayern man, who returned to the ‘Mannschaft’ after almost three years away, has other plans: “If I didn’t believe it was possible to win the European Championship, I wouldn’t have decided to come back. “We can beat anyone.”
If I didn’t believe it was possible to win the Euro Cup, I wouldn’t have decided to return.
In Germany all roads lead to Kroos. “You can give the ball at any time. You know he won’t make mistakes. Toni remains one of the three best players in the world when it comes to finding space between the lines, creating chances and scoring goals. It is not easy to defend him. “He is very smart and always finds solutions.”
Kroos remains one of the three best players in the world when it comes to finding space between the lines, creating chances and scoring goals.
The king of the pass
The numbers back him up. According to ‘Opta’, the ‘8’ of Germany and Real Madrid was, at the end of the second day, the player in the entire Euro who had completed two performances with the most passes between the lines: 47 against Hungary and 30 against Scotland. He was followed, at a distance, by Vitinha, who scored 21 against the Czech Republic.
Germany 2-0 Hungary: summary and goals | Euro Cup (J2)
“He’s a genius. A couple of training sessions with him are enough to realize the quality he has. It’s very fun to play alongside him because he puts the ball exactly where I want it.to be able to turn and attack the back of the defense,” he stressed Jamal Musiala en ‘The Athletic’.
Quantity must be added to quality. In it 5-1 against ScotlandHe completed 101 of the 102 passes he made. Never has a player been so efficient (99%) with so many attempts. Against Hungary (2-0) upped the ante: He recorded 124 successful passes. He was only three away from the historical record of the Euro Cup, Xavi Hernández’s 127 deliveries against Ireland in 2012.
“He is an incredible footballer. We all know its qualities. Control the pace of the game at all times.”he asserts Jonathan Tah.
Xavi’s record survives, but Sergio Busquets’ record – he was the player who had given the most passes (2,360) between the European Championships and World Cups – has passed away. Now it belongs to Kroos (2,387), who was already, by the way, the footballer who made the most passes in Euro 2016 (323) and in 2020 (280). This edition has been surpassed. He is the ‘king’ with 324 and continues to add.
Master all types of passes: He is the one who has filtered the most in the final third (58), the one who has made the ball run the most with his passes (2,250 meters), the one who has taken the most corners (22), the one who has generated the most goal actions (20 )…
As if that were not enough, he leads with and without the ball. “In the locker room he is someone we all admire. He has achieved so many successes that he has a special status. On the field he is incredible, nothing fazes him. You look at him and know you have nothing to worry about. His mere presence intimidates,” he points out. Leroy Sané.
Switzerland 1-1 Germany: summary and goals | Euro Cup (J3)
In Germany they are clear about it. They cling to ‘Casablanca’: “Play it again, Toni.”
