BERLIN, June 26 (dpa/EP) –
German midfielder Toni Kroos believes his country’s team will have a hard time at Euro 2024, which they will host, and admitted that “it’s very difficult to be really optimistic right now.”
“At the moment, it’s very difficult to be really optimistic. I wasn’t very optimistic already in the last year and after the results against rivals that were at most half-good this has not clearly improved. I hope there will be a good draw,” said the Real Madrid footballer in the latest episode of the podcast ‘Baywatch Berlin’.
The former international does not see the players of the four-time world champion as “at all in shape”, who this June have not won any of their three friendlies, losing against Poland and Colombia, and drawing against Ukraine, which joins the not qualifying for the last 16 World Cup in Qatar. “It’s not that they don’t want to, which is what people always say,” he clarified.
In addition to this lack of form, Kroos considered that the team needs leading players. “A large part of the team lacks self-confidence and at the moment they have few people who can pull a little from the others. That’s why they play a bit to kick the ball without much sense,” he opined.