Didi Hamann: ‘Kroos? Football is a sport for young people... you can’t go to a Euros with thirty-somethings’

The vast majority in Germany are delighted with news that Toni Kroos is set to make his much anticipated return to the German national team, especially taking into account the terrible period that the four-time world champions are going through which have seen the side eliminated in two consecutive World Cups at the group stage.

However, there are also people who believe that the Madrid midfielder takes away more than he adds in the Mannschaft. Such is the opinion of Dietmar Hamann, former German international who won the Champions League in 2005 with Liverpool.

‘You can’t go to a Euros or World Cup and play with thirty-somethings’

“It goes without saying that Toni Kroos is an extraordinary player... He is the player who has won the most titles, perhaps he is the best we have ever had,” were Hamann’s words during a Sky Germany discussion, adding that his performance depends on the players he plays alongside.

“Kroos is perhaps the best player within a dominant team. He has Camavinga at his side, Valverde and sometimes Tchouaméni. They are the best midfielders in the world. But we are not even capable of dominating Turkey and Austria.”

Furthermore, Hamann believes that the Mannschaft need young players, especially in midfield. “Groß, Gündogan and Kroos have been together for 100 years. All of them are well over thirty within football standards. What do you think the other nations will do with us? They will pass over us. This has become a youth sport. There’s always an older player from time to time. But you can’t go seriously to a Euros or a World Cup and play with three thirty-somethings in the centre of the field,” he said.

Toni Kroos has been one of Real Madrid’s top performers this season and has dictated the play across the campaign from the typical deep midfield role which he has made his own at Europe’s most successful club. The German has featured in the majority of games and has been the consistent name in the various combinations of the midfield three used by Carlo Ancelotti, despite the early calls for the Italian coach to opt for the youthful exuberance of his more recently incorporated squad players.