Kroos: I Want To "Finish My Career At Real Madrid"
Toni Kroos says he has rejected offers from Bundesliga clubs and wants to retire at Real Madrid
GOAL - Ryan Benson
Toni Kroos says he has had offers to leave Real Madrid but turned them down as he intends to see out his playing days at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 30-year-old is now into his seventh season in the Spanish capital, having won 13 major honours including three Champions League titles since his move from Bayern Munich in 2014.
There has been some speculation in recent months linking Kroos with a move back to his homeland to see out the final few years of his playing career.
Kroos, though, is not interested in a return home just yet and plans to remain in the Spanish capital until retirement.
"I always like to go back to Germany because it is my country and it is my language," Kroos told reporters. But I really enjoy life in Madrid and playing for Real Madrid.
"I have had offers, but I never spoke with other clubs because my idea is to finish my career at Real Madrid ".
Kroos also insists the Real Madrid squad still has faith in coach Zinedine Zidane after the Frenchman came under scrutiny in the wake of some recent poor results.
Although Madrid head into Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Borussia Monchengladbach on the back of a 3-1 Clasico win over Barcelona, prior back-to-back defeats to promoted Cadiz and a depleted Shakhtar Donetsk raised questions.
Both shock losses came at home, with the 3-2 reverse to Shakhtar – in which they found themselves 3-0 down at half-time – seeing Los Blancos playing catch-up right away in Champions League Group B.
The Clasico victory at Camp Nou on Saturday prevented the pressure from increasing, though another poor result in Europe will surely have Zidane on the back foot again.
But Kroos is adamant such defeats are not on the coach.
"For our part, there have never been doubts with Zidane," he said. "We lose and win together.
"It is easy if something is not going well to say that there are doubts, but the result of the Clasico showed that it is not like that.
"If you play for Madrid you have to accept that if you lose matches there is criticism. The important thing is how you react and we did very well, but it is only one victory and you have to continue like this."
