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Toni Kroos’ Retirement Delayed as Germany’s Adventure Continues at Euro 2024

Germany's midfielder #08 Toni Kroos celebrates his team's win at the end of the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Germany and Denmark at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund on June 29, 2024. (AFP)
Germany's midfielder #08 Toni Kroos celebrates his team's win at the end of the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Germany and Denmark at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund on June 29, 2024. (AFP)
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Toni Kroos’ Retirement Delayed as Germany’s Adventure Continues at Euro 2024

Germany's midfielder #08 Toni Kroos celebrates his team's win at the end of the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Germany and Denmark at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund on June 29, 2024. (AFP)
Germany's midfielder #08 Toni Kroos celebrates his team's win at the end of the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Germany and Denmark at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund on June 29, 2024. (AFP)

Toni Kroos gets another game before he retires. Germany's Euro 2024 title challenge looks more real than ever.

One of the most decorated players in modern soccer with six Champions League titles and a World Cup, Kroos wasn't flashy as Germany beat Denmark 2-0 on Saturday, but he was a calm, assured presence holding the midfield together.

Kroos already won the Champions League with Real Madrid this season. Now he's three games away from one final trophy and could face his Madrid teammate, Spain's Dani Carvajal, in his next game.

Some fans already have their eyes on the final in the German capital and sang about heading to Berlin as Germany saw out the win.

Just like another Real Madrid great, Zinedine Zidane in 2006, Kroos is ending his storied career at a major tournament in Germany. He came out of international retirement in February for one last tournament. Each game Germany plays in the knockout stage could be the last of his career.

Germany weathered a thunderstorm, hail and stubborn Danish resistance Saturday to ensure the 34-year-old midfielder will play again. Germany faces either Spain or Georgia in the quarterfinals July 5.

Zidane reached the 2006 World Cup final with France, only to headbutt an opponent, get a red card and lose to Italy. Kroos and Germany can still dream of a win on home soil and a first major trophy since Kroos and his teammates lifted the 2014 World Cup.

Until the Denmark game, Germany had not won a major-tournament knockout game since Euro 2016. The win continues the sense that Germany is finally turning things around under coach Julian Nagelsmann after years of disappointment. He took over last year with a mission to deliver a host-nation success story at Euro 2024, and has already signed an extension for the 2026 World Cup.

The decision to give Nagelsmann an extension in April came largely on the back of morale-boosting friendly wins over France and the Netherlands. Since then, Germany is unbeaten in six games including pre-tournament friendlies.

"I’m proud of the team," Nagelsmann said Saturday. "They're beginning to realize how good they really are."

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No. 1 Iga Swiatek Parts Ways with Coach after 3 Trophy-laden Years Together

FILE - Poland's Iga Swiatek and her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski hold the trophy after Swiatek won the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Jasmine Paolini at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - Poland's Iga Swiatek and her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski hold the trophy after Swiatek won the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Jasmine Paolini at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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No. 1 Iga Swiatek Parts Ways with Coach after 3 Trophy-laden Years Together

FILE - Poland's Iga Swiatek and her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski hold the trophy after Swiatek won the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Jasmine Paolini at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - Poland's Iga Swiatek and her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski hold the trophy after Swiatek won the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Jasmine Paolini at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek is separating from her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
The Polish tennis player announced the split Friday, saying the decision was taken together.
During the three years Swiatek worked with Wiktorowski, the Polish player won four of her five Grand Slam titles and rose to the top of the women’s rankings.
“After 3 years of the greatest achievements in my career, together with my coach Tomasz Wiktorowski we decided to part way,” Swiatek wrote in a post on Instagram. “I want to start with a big thank you and appreciating our work together.”
Swiatek appointed Wiktorowski as coach at the end of the 2021 season. He helped her capture 19 of her 22 career titles and an Olympic bronze medal in Paris in August.
“Coach Wiktorowski joined my team for three seasons, when I strongly needed changes and a fresh approach to my game,” Swiatek continued. “His experience, analytical and strategic attitude and enormous knowledge about tennis helped us to achieve things I’ve never dreamed of only a few months after we started working together.
“Our main goal was to become No. 1 player in the world and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first," The Associated Press quoted her as saying.
Swiatek hasn’t competed since losing to Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals of the US Open.
She withdrew from this week’s China Open in Beijing — where she would have been defending champion — citing personal reasons. The 23-year-old Swiatek also pulled out of the recent Korea Open in Seoul, citing fatigue.
“Due to this important change on my team, I give myself a couple of weeks to start a cooperation with a new coach,” Swiatek wrote. “I’m in the middle of first talks with coaches from abroad (non-Polish) because I’m ready to take the next step of my career. I will let you know when I make a decision.”
Wiktorowski was voted the WTA’s Coach of the Year by his peers last year.
“Coach, THANK YOU, I wish you all the best,” Swiatek wrote. “I know that you would like to rest after these 3 years of hard work and traveling a lot and spending some well-deserved time with your loved ones and I hope you’ll get what you need.”