Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Florentino and Vazquez bid farewell to Kroos
Real Madrid players reacted on their social networks to Toni Kroos' announcement that he will retire from football at the end of the season with a common word, "legend", with emoticons of sorrow and tears and a sincere "how you f*cked me" from Lucas Vazquez.
"How you f*cked me up. One of the greatest privileges of my career has been playing alongside you. So many moments together and so much achieved. You are a white legend, my friend. I wish you all the best, let's go for the last one together, what an honour! Thank you, I'm going to miss you a lot, my friend," the Galician wrote on his social networks.
Shortly afterwards, the Spanish player again sent a message to his team-mate, as the German joked about whether he was trending. "F*ck you," Lucas Vazquez replied.
May 21, 2024
More elaborate messages arrived minutes after the first reactions. From "Antonio" next to a broken heart of Vinicius and a face with a tear that was repeated in the messages of those who will be his teammates until 1st June, the day of Kroos' last game in a Madrid shirt, to repeating the word "legend" to define the German.
Later, the players said goodbye with more heartfelt messages and photos alongside the German.
"Genius. That was the closest word I could find to define you, Toni. And yet it still falls far short of what you deserve. Today is a sad day for me and for the Madridistas. But it is a terrible day for the ball, for football. To know that soon we won't have you anymore. You could give so much more, so much more. But I understand you. Thank you for every pass, for every guidance and for allowing me to learn so much over the years. We love you! Let's go for the 15th for you," Vinicius wrote.
One of the longest texts was written by Dani Carvajal, who showed that Kroos' announcement to retire from football caught them by surprise.
"I didn't expect to have to write this farewell message so soon, but I want to take this opportunity to express how much I appreciate you and how great you have been both on and off the pitch. You are a guy who is loved by everyone, a true gentleman in every sense of the word. It has been an honour and a privilege to share these moments with you," he shared.
"I will always remember with pride that I was lucky enough to play alongside Toni Kroos and, one day, I will tell my children about everything we achieved together on the pitch. Thank you for everything you brought to the team and for being a constant inspiration to us all. But it doesn't end here, we have one last mission together to have the best possible farewell.... GO FOR THE 15," he added.
Meanwhile, Madrid president Florentino Perez called Toni Kroos "one of the greatest players in the history" of the club, following the midfielder's announcement that he will retire at the end of the current season. "This club is and always will be his home," he added.
In addition, Kroos' former Madrid team-mates also shared some affectionate words towards the German midfielder.
"For everything and for so much, Toni! What an honour to share the pitch with you. All the best for the future," was the message sent to him by Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he shared four seasons at the Real Madrid.
May 21, 2024
"To my brother, Antonio. It has been a pleasure to have shared so many moments and so many successes with a unique player and an exceptional person, a top figure. Always in my team, Antonio. Enjoy all the life you have ahead of you and the memory of a wonderful career that still has a couple of chapters left," wrote Sergio Ramos, recalling a viral video of a Spain-Germany clash in which he addressed Kroos as 'Antonio'.
Mentioned in the news story
LaLiga
Real Madrid
Toni Kroos
Sergio Ramos
C. Ronaldo
Lucas Vázquez
