“The best way to retire is to win the Champions League.” Music and words by Toni Kroos in the post-match of Real Madrid-Real Betis, the last day of LaLiga, a match that ended with a 0-0 result. The German midfielder has already announced that after the European Championship with Germany he will hang up his boots, so last night was his last match in Spain. The Champions League final, however, will be his last match as a Real Madrid player.
After the match against Betis, which was also characterized by a very touching tribute to him from the Santiago Bernabeu and the Madrid club itself, the former Bayern Munich player spoke in the mixed zone and recounted all the emotion, with much of tears, experienced on the pitch: “I was trying to be strong, then I saw the reaction of my children. They were crying and this thing destroyed me.”
“I can only thank all the Real Madrid fans, the club, my teammates, the stadium. In these ten years – continues Kroos – I have always felt at home. They were unforgettable. I came to this match with a different feeling, because I knew it was the last one, of course. I said I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible and I did it for 85 minutes, like I always have. And I think I was strong enough… Until I saw my children crying , that moment killed me. That’s why I wanted to make it official before this match, so from tomorrow we can forget about it. The best solution would be to win the Decimoquinta.”