Concrete talks are already underway: Toni Kroos’s spectacular return to Real Madrid appears to be taking shape
According to The Athletic, Kroos will not be returning to the pitch as a player. The 36-year-old retired after the 2024 European Championship, having repeatedly stressed that his decision was final. Since the 36-year-old hung up his boots, Los Blancos have gone trophyless under Carlo Ancelotti in 2024/25, and the same fate now threatens in the current season, despite the best efforts of coaches Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa.
Real Madrid are weighing a Zinedine Zidane-style route for Kroos: after retirement, the former World Player of the Year joined the club and grew into a star coach, winning the Champions League in each of his two Bernabéu spells.
“Kroos could start in a similar advisory role to the Frenchman and also represent the club at official events,” writes the website. A position in the inner circle of the first team is also feasible, as is a future transition to coaching, mirroring Zidane’s own journey.
