By Rune Gjerulff @runegjerulff
At a press conference on Tuesday, Toni Kroos outlined his first impressions after returning to the German national team and spoke about the high expectations placed on him ahead of the European Championship.
Toni Kroos is delighted to be back in the Germany squad after coming out of international retirement ahead of the European Championship on home soil.
Asked about his first impressions of training with his Germany teammates at a press conference on Tuesday, Kroos replied:
“It feels good. I always felt like the intensity was good in training, but it just didn’t transfer to the games.
“A good week of training is important. We have a lot of new players. It’s important to get a good feeling and confidence. We have a couple of sessions. If we complete them with the same intensity by Saturday, that’s a good prerequisite, but it’s not a guarantee,” said Kroos ahead of Saturday’s friendly against France.
On being seen as a savior upon his return, Kroos said:
“I can’t do it alone. But given my position and the way I play, it’s clear that I have to take a certain amount of responsibility and take control.
“I’m trying to do what I’ve always done and help the team. I’ve played with most of the other players and I know them personally. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the situation. The positives outweigh the negatives.”
At the moment, the 34-year-old has no plans for what will happen after the Euros – not even at club level, with his contract with Real Madrid due to expire this summer.
“I haven’t thought about the time frame. There are a lot of things that aren’t clear about what will happen after the European Championships. I don’t even have a contract for next season. I have to sort that out first.”
More about the match
More about the teams
More about Toni Kroos
About Author
