Former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos says he is open to returning to the Spanish giants in some capacity in the future.

The legendary German midfielder hung up his boots – the same pair which he had been wearing for a decade and hand-washed after each match – at the end of last season. Kroos’ 465th and final appearance for Madrid was a Champions League final triumph over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

Eventual champions Spain knocked Kroos’ Germany side out of Euro 2024 in May and the 34-year-old has not returned to the competitive world of football since.

However, the 2014 World Cup winner revealed that he was open to a future role at Real on the latest episode of the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Felix, Einfach mal Luppen. “Now I’m fully occupied with my projects, but given the closeness with Madrid, my relationship at Madrid, I would never rule out doing something at the club at some point in the future,” he teased.

The former midfielder spent ten seasons in the Spanish capital and won 22 major honours, including five Champions League titles. “The meaning of Real will always be the same for me,” Kroos admitted on his podcast. “It was a long, great, successful and also loving time with Real Madrid.

“It will always be like that, I will always be close to Real, there is no doubt about that. And I will always defend Real, I will always be on Real’s side. That won’t change, the relationship is simply too close.”

Kroos finished ninth in this year’s Ballon d’Or and came out in support of his former teammate Vinicius Junior who was the runner-up to Rodri, hailing the Brazilian as “the best” on social media.

The German was arguably enjoying the best form of his career when he called it quits. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti captured the opinion of many when he extended an open invitation to his midfield maestro at the end of last season. “I’ve told him we are waiting for him to change his mind,” the Italian coach grinned, “we are waiting for you.”

While he clearly still follows his former employers, the freshly retired professional warned that he may not be back at the Bernabeu just yet. “To appear now in the public environment of the club?” Kroos asked himself. “The first thing I would say is no, no matter how close I feel to the club.

“But I’m not saying I’m not going to do or have anything to do with Real again in my life, of course I wouldn’t rule it out. In what role I can’t know, or whether the club can imagine it or not.”

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