Watching Toni Kroos in action, it is hard to believe that he is still just 25 years old. The technically and tactically gifted midfielder orchestrates his sides' play with an astonishing maturity and poise, and has long been an integral part of both the teams of FIFA World Cup™ winners Germany and FIFA Club World Cup champions Real Madrid.
Kroos’ performances last year put him firmly
among the elite group of players recognised as the world’s best, and his role in helping Germany become world champions for a fourth time in Brazil cannot be overstated. Joachim Low's men completed a total of 4,157 passes at the tournament - more than any other side - and Kroos alone was responsible for 537 of those. In the Final against Argentina, Kroos found a team-mate with 94 of his 114 passes and also covered a distance of 14.3 kilometres. At the end of the competition, the Greifswald native finished top of the Castrol Index - an analytical chart of the tournament's top performers.
Kroos joined Bayern Munich from Hansa Rostock as a 16-year-old and won the adidas Golden Ball as the best player at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2007. He was identified as a prodigious talent in his home town from an early age and now, having been recognised at the recent FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala in Zurich, holds a place in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI. In a fascinating interview with FIFA.com, the midfielder gives us his thoughts on the importance of mental strength, on how being relaxed boosts on-field performance and reflects on a moment in the World Cup Final that could have led to a rather different outcome at the Maracana.
FIFA.com: Last year was an extremely successful one for you. Was it also the year in which you cemented your credentials as a world-class player on the international stage?
Toni Kroos: It certainly was a special year, and above all it was an especially successful year. But when you achieve so much and win titles, especially the World Cup, from the outside it always looks like you’ve suddenly played far better than you did before. I’ve never believed that, though, and still don’t now. Both myself and the team were already playing at a high level; the only difference is that we had something to show for it last year. Nevertheless, I still took a step forward. After all, showing what you can do at a World Cup and then moving from Munich to Madrid isn’t easy.
So does that mean making progress in football is more of a psychological process?
The mental side of things is always important in football. When you achieve success by winning a major title then suddenly everything just seems to come that much easier to you. But to be honest, I’ve never had any problems with the psychological side of things.
One of the attributes you are often praised for is that despite your relatively young age, you have a remarkably composed and unhurried manner out on the pitch, especially in tight situations. Where do you get that from?
I think there are two reasons for that. One the one hand, I simply have faith in my ability in any kind of situation because I know what I’m capable of and therefore never need to panic. On the other hand, it’s just part of my nature that I’m aware that there are a lot more important things in the world than football. If you lose a game from time to time then that’s just the way it goes. Before every match I know that whatever happens, the worst case scenario is that you lose a game, nothing more. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I’m not focused or that I don’t want to win, but that outlook gives me a certain laid-back quality.
It’s just part of my nature that I’m aware that there are a lot more important things in the world than football.
In Germany you were labelled a wunderkind a decade ago and earmarked as a potential future No10 in the national team. Given such huge levels of expectation, are you not now a little relieved to be a World Cup winner and playing for Real Madrid?
No, because I never put that pressure on myself - that came from other people. Of course winning major titles is an objective you set yourself when you start out playing football, but I never put myself under any pressure to have to win the World Cup at some point in my career. I’d still be sitting here in just as good a mood today if we hadn’t won the World Cup. That’s not to say it wasn’t a massive achievement. As you said, I‘m sitting here [at the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014 Gala in Zurich] ten years down the line and I’m still not that old. That’s how I know that it’s perfectly normal for development to happen over time and that you can’t rush it, no matter how good you are.
At the World Cup in Brazil you pulled the strings in Germany’s midfield. In concrete terms, why do you think Germany were better than everyone else?
We were a very close-knit group and we had an absolutely top-class coach who prepared us extremely well for each opponent. And we knew that we’d only become world champions if we stuck together, if we attacked and defender together as a team. We didn’t have the kind of individual player you could just give the ball to and rely on him to score while everyone else just defended. We were all aware that everyone had to be involved in defending and that we had to play as a collective. We did that in a fantastic manner and that’s why I think we were the best team last summer.
To what extent did you grow into a leading role with Germany in Brazil?
That’s not a term I can really relate to, but whenever I’m on the pitch I always try to shoulder responsibility. I’ve always done that as the position I play in demands it. The way I play is to get into the game a lot and to see plenty of the ball. Consequently you’re automatically more involved.
In the World Cup Final in Rio de Janeiro there was a nail-biting moment for you when your headed backpass fell short and Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuain was suddenly one-on-one with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. What went through your mind at that point?
[Pauses to think] It’s still 0-0, so keep going!
Was that all?
Yes.
Did you not think that it could have been all over after that?
Why would it have been all over? That was in about the 20th minute and the score was still 0-0. Thankfully he fired his shot off towards the corner flag [laughs]. No, things like that can always happen, it’s normal nowadays. Of course that was a great opportunity for Argentina to take the lead, but we also could have done so a couple of times during the game. Overall it was an evenly-balanced match but we were just a bit luckier at the end, which we were all very happy about.
You were originally schooled as an attacking midfielder but at Real Madrid you have more of a defensive role.
At the end of the day the important thing is that you’re able to work well in the team. We tend to play with three central midfielders and at the moment I have the more defensive role, and have done since the beginning of the season. I very much enjoy playing there. Of course the coach sets out certain demands for playing in that position, but those coincide with my own interpretation of how to play there. So in that regard I’m delighted with how things are going. Over the years I’ve been moving further back bit by bit, and that’s fine by me. In Madrid it’s important that we have the right balance. Normally we have a lot of very attack-minded players on the pitch, so for me it’s almost of secondary importance to get forward. Instead, I focus on how the game is going in the middle of the park and that we’re well positioned.
How are you enjoying living in Madrid? Have you settled in?
Yes, absolutely. At the beginning you do need to adapt a bit but in football a lot of things are the same. There are two or three differences, especially in terms of the mentality, but I’m the kind of person who adjusts quickly and settles in once I know what’s what. I consciously made the decision to take a big step and face the challenge of moving abroad and to not be able to communicate in the same way as I could in Germany due to the new language.
After playing for Bayern Munich you are now at another of the world’s biggest clubs. What is it that makes Real Madrid so special?
That’s something only dawns on you when you travel with the club. Wherever you go people are always beside themselves to see you. We were in Dubai recently and that’s the kind of place where you think you’re going a long way away. But once we got there I had the feeling that the people there are even crazier, so to speak, than they are in Madrid and in Spain. That says it all. The club has won an unbelievable number of trophies and still has a top-quality team with top-class players. I think that alone is what makes Real Madrid so interesting.
Finally, if a Ballon d’Or was awarded for something you excel at away from the football pitch, what would it be?
I think I’m a pretty good dad [smiles]. That’s also the most important thing!