Even at 34 years old, Toni Kroos continues to show his world-class ability, and his return to the Germany national team is testimony to that. For this, he deserves to be given his roses.
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The act of handing an individual their roses or flowers is universally recognised as an acknowledgement of love and/or praise. It is an expressive way of showing an individual affection, and given the continuity that Kroos has shown this season, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winners deserves some.
Last season, it seemed as if the legendary playmaker's form was declining. Often, he would start well in games, but his impact would slowly wane as matches would go on, especially if the encounter morphed into a frantic affair. He and Luka Modric had been ever-present in the Los Blancos midfield for close to a decade, but last season, Carlo Ancelotti seemingly began to acknowledge that the days of them starting football matches together may be in the past.
The duo's lack of running ability late in games would compromise the team, as was evident with the concession of their UEFA Champions League and LALIGA titles. In 2023/24, their Italian manager has remedied that by dropping Modric to the bench, starting Kroos and surrounding the Greifswald native with more athletic and energetic midfield partners.
This has reinvigorated the veteran deep-lying playmaker's career at the Santiago Bernabeu as he has been not only one of their most consistent performers, but the entire Spanish first division's too.
Why Kroos deserves his flowers?
The midfielder's accomplishments speak for themselves. A FIFA World Cup winner in 2014, a five-time Champions League winner, a three-time Bundesliga and LALIGA winner, and a six-time FIFA Club World Cup winner, not to mention the countless domestic cup titles he has lifted during his spells with Bayern Munich and Real.
He featured prominently in the aforementioned title successes, but Kroos deserves his flowers for more than that because even in the latter stages of his career, he is still showing up in a big way for what is arguably the biggest football club in the world.
There were rumours of him possibly retiring at the end of last season, following a poor season by his standards, but in 2023/24 he looks refreshed as he helps his team try to win the league and the European Cup once again. Playing alongside midfielders such as Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, who possess the athleticism to constantly make late runs into the box, has allowed him to conserve his energy and dictate the tempo of matches from deep within the midfield, making him a dangerous threat.
Occasionally, in the 90 minutes, you may find him loitering on the edge of the box waiting to hit one of his patented long-range strikes into the back of the net, but for the most part, he is orchestrating the pace of games.
What's next for Kroos?
This resurgence with Real has coincided with him pledging to represent Die Mannschaft at the 2024 UEFA European Championship, which Germany will be hosting during the off-season. He took a hiatus from the national team after the competition's previous edition, but in his Instagram post announcing his return to the fold, he said "I'm in the mood", and that sentiment is clear by the way he has been playing for his club.
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Hesigned a one-year extension at the end of the past campaign, but after he announced that he would be returning to play for his country, there is reportedly a feeling within Valdebebas that Kroos will extend his Madrid stay yet again.
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