Toni Kroos immediately belongs on the big stage again. When he arrived to the national soccer team’s headquarters, he attracted the attention of fans and autograph seekers.

And on Tuesday, the 34-year-old Real Madrid midfielder will be the center of attention at the DFB campus in Frankfurt. First, he will attend the first training session for Saturday’s European Championship friendly against France in Lyon. And immediately after, at the press conference.

Kroos returns as a source of optimism

Then there’s the man that national coach Julian Nagelsmann was able to revive for the home European Championship in the summer, nearly three years after his 106th international appearance. Kroos returns as a light of hope, even if he does not consider himself a “savior”: “You should not believe that this ploy will make us favorites. That is ridiculous.

Kroos plays a key role in Nagelsmann’s European Championship dream team. “He can be an excellent connector between defense and offense. He is having an incredibly steady season at Real Madrid, where no one would have joined so quickly.” The national coach is eternally grateful to Kroos for his DFB comeback. “He could have relaxed by the sea in the summer.” Kroos now hopes to compete in another European Championship competition.

What does Kroos’ comeback mean?

Sporty: Kroos remains an amazing player. Above important, he is able to process the ball in midfield under pressure while maintaining a resting heart rate. “We will have moments of pressure in the summer when players are playing in front of their own goal. You must be mentally stable and, of course, have the ability to remain calm,” Nagelsmann stated.

He wants to pair a worker like Robert Andrich from Leverkusen or Pascal Groß from Brighton with strategist Kroos. Extra space is created for Kroos: Captain Ilkay Gündogan moves forward to the ten, while Joshua Kimmich must move to the right back.

Hierarchical: Kroos is, of course, returning as a key figure. He is the 2014 World Cup champion. He’s won the Champions League five times. His remarks carry weight, and he can talk clearly.

Atmospheric: Kroos was not always regarded as a unifying influence within the DFB team. The same advisor relates him to Nagelsmann. Will he lead the many novice colleagues in the heavily reorganized squad? He played his final international match on June 29, 2021, losing 2-0 to England in the European Championship round of 16. It sealed Germany’s next early tournament elimination following the much more catastrophic 2018 World Cup. Kroos also played a role in both instances. He now wants to give his DFB narrative a happy conclusion.