Toni Kroos said Spain “crushed” Germany’s hopes of winning Euro 2024 on home soil after Mikel Merino’s 119th-minute goal eliminated the hosts and ended the former Real Madrid midfielder’s career.
Kroos, 34, ended his club career by helping Real Madrid to their 15th Champions League trophy last season and had been hoping to complete a European double by leading Germany to Euro 2024.
However, Spain’s 2-1 win in Stuttgart knocked Julian Nagelsmann’s side out in the quarter-finals, leaving Kroos to dwell on what might have been.
“To be honest, the main feeling at the moment is that the tournament is over because we all had a big goal that we wanted to achieve together,” Kroos told reporters. “And that dream we all had has just been shattered. We can all be proud because we have improved. I am happy to have helped Germany as a football nation to have hope again. I am convinced that the team will be successful in the future, but today we are sad because we wanted to stay in this competition a little longer. Said the Germany midfielder.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann insisted his side did not deserve to be knocked out of the competition after coming so close to winning the game in extra time.
“It’s hard to hold back the tears,” he told me. “They didn’t deserve to lose today. We responded effectively after the break. Spain had only two chances in the second half and we were closer to winning than they were. We hit the post and had a header chance. It hurts, it will take time to put it right and I will probably never play at home again in my career,” said Nagelsmann. Said Nagelsmann.
