#3 2014 was the ‘Year of Kroos’
Mesut Özil has just picked up another ‘German Player of the Year’ award and the last player to secure the prestigious title was Kroos back in 2014. In that year, Kroos not only secured his move to the Galacticos, but his trophy haul was also unprecedented.
The German won five trophies in total with three different teams. He bid farewell to Bayern Munich with a Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal success, before lifting the World Cup in Brazil with Germany in a competition he lit up from midfield. Just a few months into his Real Madrid tenure and Kroos added UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup successes to an already crammed cabinet.
#4 He’s nicknamed ‘Garcon’ or ‘The Waiter’
This title was first thrown around in the wake of Germany’s 2014 World Cup encounter with Portugal. Kroos’ team dismantled the Portuguese 4-0 in the group game, with Thomas Müller bagging a hat trick. His performance was undoubtedly phenomenal but the more perceptive football follower would’ve recognised that it would not have been possible without the services of Toni Kroos.
The Madrid Magician attempted 79 passes in total, completing 76 of them successfully, giving him a more-than-admirable pass completion rate of 96%. Pundits became increasingly aware of Kroos’ midfield prowess from this point onwards and the nickname is appropriate for a player who rarely fails to deliver the goods.
