If he had stronger PR he would easily win Ballon d'Or this year, especially if he goes far with Germany.
Toni Kroos | Retired
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Every top team needs a class DM gay.It’s a gem indeed because they didn’t have a class DM gay the time, then they found Casemiro
How on earth have either demolished their legacy? Especially Messi. Left Europe with a Ballon d'or and WC win. Ronaldo burned some bridges but that was mainly his persona.
Won the Champions League - his sixth - in his last ever club game. Imagine if he won the Euros with Germany on home soil as well. Would be quite something.
Getting him lined up for us was one of the few good things Moyes did, only for LvG to go “nah” and let it go, allowing Real Madrid to sign him instead. Truth be told, it was probably a much better career move for him. He would not have won anything near as much if he played for us and it’d probably be like most of our other post-Fergie signings.
Getting him lined up for us was one of the few good things Moyes did, only for LvG to go “nah” and let it go, allowing Real Madrid to sign him instead. Truth be told, it was probably a much better career move for him. He would not have won anything near as much if he played for us and it’d probably be like most of our other post-Fergie signings.
Kroos isnt going to win the Ballon d'Or but the holder of the Ballon d'Or being a retired player would be very funny
One of the greatest midfielders of his generation, still could easily have a few more years in him but I always admire when a player decides to retire on top.
Thank you for everything Toni to the final end. That assist on Carvajal was no accident, tried it minutes earlier and Carvajal headed it over.
We’ll miss him and what a beautiful ending to his time with us. I was at his debut at the SB and even got a shirt with his name on the back. Was so excited about him joining us. Loved what he did at Bayern and the NT and knew we had signed someone special. Fitted into our midfield seamlessly. What a player.
Hope he gets a good farewell with the NT as well.
to the final end. That assist on Carvajal was no accident, tried it minutes earlier and Carvajal headed it over.We’ll miss him and what a beautiful ending to his time with us. I was at his debut at the SB and even got a shirt with his name on the back. Was so excited about him joining us. Loved what he did at Bayern and the NT and knew we had signed someone special. Fitted into our midfield seamlessly. What a player.
Hope he gets a good farewell with the NT as well.
Playing for money only, not for the love of football is an issue for me, so this applies more to Ronaldo than to Messi know.
But I rate Kroos much higher for calling the Saudis out and the players who take their blood money.
That said I also appreciate players a lot who effectively end their top level career but continue on a lower level.
Stories like Lukas Podolski playing for Gornik Zabrze because he promised his grandma he would play there some day are just so much better than Ronaldo getting that last huge paycheck.
Is there a more decorated player in Europe than Kroos ?
Currently playing? I cannot think of anyone.
Yeah, mentioned it before: Kroos' set piece delivery has been a big (and probably underrated) part of his impact. Especially considering how many goals come from set piece situations nowadays (about 1/3 iirc, not sure if this includes pens though). Decisive again yesterday.Thank you for everything Toni
Sergio Ramos? Suppose it depends on whether you consider two Euros worth a few CLs.
What's the fundamental difference between playing in the Saudi League compared to the US league?
- Quality-wise I'd say both are poor. Hard to tell which one is poorer. If I had to guess, I'd say Saudi League is probably slightly stronger based on the players they signed
- Money-wise both earn a shit load of money, and with Messi's Apple and Adidas deals, it's hard to say who earns more.
- If you're thinking about politics here, both countries do not fully honor human rights and have a terrible track record when it comes to foreign politics
Yeah Messi may be a stretch, but his time at PSG was disappointing and playing in the MLS against teams that would be in 2nd or 3rd division in big european leagues isnt that impressive either.
But Ronaldo definitely hurt his legacy I think. From the bad performances and drama he caused at United to celebrating himself for breaking a record in the Saudi league...just look at social media, he is becoming a meme and laughed about. They make fail compilations of his misses and everything.
He lost a ton of respect.
Neither Ronaldo nor Messi have tarnished their legacy by going to inferior leagues. People are rightfully making fun of Ronaldo and his fans because they treat the Saudi League and his goals as if it's something relevant. These are separate things.
Kroos also has said that he doesn't mind people going somewhere at the end of their career to get big money, he was just very critical of young players going to Saudi when they still could make a great career in Europe while earning 7 figures.
I think people misunderstand a bit what Kroos is referring to as "retiring at the top." It's less about continuing in inferior leagues but more about him not wanting to become a victim of his own success in the sense that some players continue to cling to their belief that they're still as good as they were 5 years ago when that clearly isn't the case anymore. The kind of players that use their status at the club to still demand a starting position, still want relevant minutes etc. or hold young players back. I think he was afraid of that and not about what people would think if he were to add a few more years in the US.
Kroos also has said that he doesn't mind people going somewhere at the end of their career to get big money, he was just very critical of young players going to Saudi when they still could make a great career in Europe while earning 7 figures.
I think people misunderstand a bit what Kroos is referring to as "retiring at the top." It's less about continuing in inferior leagues but more about him not wanting to become a victim of his own success in the sense that some players continue to cling to their belief that they're still as good as they were 5 years ago when that clearly isn't the case anymore. The kind of players that use their status at the club to still demand a starting position, still want relevant minutes etc. or hold young players back. I think he was afraid of that and not about what people would think if he were to add a few more years in the US.
Do you consider players at or past the average retirement age of footballers (35) or at least past their prime like Zlatan, Henry, Pelé, Xavi, Iniesta, Beckham, Lampard, Rooney, Benzema and so on as tarnishing their legacy because they played in leagues we call semi retirement leagues. Cryuff and Best also went there quite early. Best because of his lack of dedication and Cryuff because he became bankrupt after his early retirement and life as a pig farmer.
I mean the many of the greatest ever players do this. Its totally normal
Ronaldo is a meme because he bigged the Saudi league to be on par with the top European leagues so he can claim his goals there are relevant and elite and so on which his cult following lap up.
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Sure they're playing for money like everyone does but they obviously love playing football too. That's why they're playing in lower leagues in their late 30s instead of benching it in Europe. It's not like they have anything else to do after their legs are completely gone. They're stinkin rich and neither would be interested in coaching or management.
That's actually a good point. Neither is cut out for it and dare I say none of them seem to have the personality and communication skills to have a full time role in television?
If he wins this Euros will he have had the best career of any player that's played the game?
34 major trophies including a World Cup and euros. Wouldn’t be far off.
one of the GOAT midfielders. Ridiculous player.
Winning the Euros wouldn't even put him over Modric.
Why has Modric won the World Cup and the Euros.
Jesus fecking Christ. Retiring with (almost, I am not too sure) as many trophies as years he’s lived on Earth. That’s incredibly impressive.
Has Modric won a world cup or Euros?
No, Croatia haven't. Modric has taken Croatia further than they should have though, by being their clear leader and throughout that period, very clearly, or at least for most of his run, their best player. Kroos has played in a generationally stacked Germany team, and another good one this year, on home turf. They were 2nd/3rd favourites both times, and a strong favourite throughout his entire international career.... you could have played the Euros in Croatia in 2021, coming off the back of being runners up in a World Cup, and Croatia still wouldn't likely be top 5 favourites. (In reality, they were 11th favourites at 40/1ish).
Winning international trophies with a major Footballing powerhouse like Germany is much much easier than winning anything with underdogs Croatia. Infact, Croatia and Modric have massively overachieved.
Modric's 2018 World Cup performance was better than anything Kroos has ever produced in his entire career so this point makes no sense.
Got to be one of the most decorated players that have played this game, and deservedly so.
I'm kind of hoping he comes back in a Scholes-esque fashion, just because it feels like such a waste for a player like him still playing at top level retiring so early.
Yes I get all that, but the point stands what he's won (potentially won) it's an incredible career.
He’s brilliant. One of the best midfielders I’ve seen. Silently fantastic. Dare I say it, better than England’s trio? Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard
Wdym dare. Not even a debate.
I’d like a Croatia win for Modric. But Kroos winning the Euros as a farewell would be great too.
He's clearly still one of the three best midfielders in the game. Could even easily be argued that he's the best. Feels weird that he's packing it in already, but I guess he's run out of things to play for when even winning the Champions League has become routine. The Euros are the only thing he's missing, and he's not going to hang around for another four years if he doesn't win it now.
I admire him for going out at the absolute peak instead of going to some cash rich second-rate league for a nice retirement bonus, but he could easily hack it at the top level in Europe for at least another year or two with how he's been playing.
I admire him for going out at the absolute peak instead of going to some cash rich second-rate league for a nice retirement bonus, but he could easily hack it at the top level in Europe for at least another year or two with how he's been playing.
This is why rating individuals blindly based on trophies is ridiculous. Collective achievements don't necessarily make an individual better.
Croatia and Modric have surpassed all expectations and punched well above their weight but some people will just view it as "He didn't win a World Cup/Euro". This is how players from countries like Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, etc get massively overrated. National Team privilege is real!
Agreed
Hands down
Yeah he has a higher all time standing compared to those three.
I'd say Scholes had more natural talent but I don't think he realised it to it's full potential.
You're doing Kroos a major disservice. He's hardly won these trophies being a passenger. He's an absolute world class player.
I am not denying that though. Ofcourse, he's nothing close to a passenger. He's an absolute legend.
My point is more about Modric getting underrated because he isn't from a powerhouse nation that can realistically win these big trophies. You can't hold that against Modric in these all-time conversations/debates.
Please cut out the Messi/Ronaldo chat and take to that cesspit of a thread.
We’re here to watch a great CM, putting his national team on the autobahn one last time and shifting to Kroos control.
We’re here to watch a great CM, putting his national team on the autobahn one last time and shifting to Kroos control.
We will mourn his absence next season like there is no tomorrow.
You should get auto-banned for this travesty.
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