Toni Kroos had an emotional farewell from the Santiago Bernabeu in his final home game as a Real Madrid player. He starred in the 0-0 draw against Real Betis, in which the entire spotlight was on him.
The club also invited Kroos’ wife and kids to share the stage with him. Toni has been married to his long-time partner Jessica Farber since 2015, soon after he joined Real Madrid in 2014. The two have three kids, including two boys (Leon and Fin) as well as a daughter Amelie. All his children paid homage to their dad’s memorable career at the Santiago Bernabeu by wearing his ‘Kroos 8’ shirts to the game.
What made the evening even more emotional were the heartbreaking reactions shared by Jessica and their children towards the end of the game. As Kroos was substituted in the 85th minute, he received a standing ovation from the entire Santiago Bernabeu crowd. His teammates even gave him a group hug before the cameras panned to the reactions of his children.
Amelie was clearly distraught at watching her father retire and was reduced to tears. The two boys also looked really emotional. Seeing this kind of reactions from his children clearly moved Kroos, who has always had this reputation of being this super-cool, composed player who can keep his emotions in check. Toni was seen hugging his children and consoling his crying daughter after his substitution.
The German midfielder opened up on how he felt seeing his children in this kind of state after the game, revealing: “It’s not easy, I can only say thanks to Real Madrid fans, to the club, to my teammates, to the stadium… I have always felt at home in these ten years, I couldn’t ask for more, it has been ten unforgettable years. You come away with a different feeling, you know that it is the last game. I was strong until I saw my children, that killed me.”
Real Madrid’s officials were classy enough to allow his children to be near the pitch rather than the VIP box for this occasion. They even arranged a special memento for Kroos after the end of the match. The German midfielder was allowed to pose with every single one of the trophies he’s won with Real Madrid. He even got to pose with his wife and children alongside all the trophies to make for a really sweet photo.
Kroos even made a lap of honor around the Santiago Bernabeu with his children alongside him. The three kids got to feel some special love from the fans on their father’s historic day too. With that being said, at least now Amelie, Leon and Fin will be able to spend more time with their father because of his decision to hang up his boots at the age of 34.
Before the match, Toni had also explained how his family reacted to his decision to retire so early. He explained: “Jess (wife) is very supportive. Leon (son) did not like the decision. Ami (daughter) despite being a big Madridista is very happy (laughs). She wants us to ride horses together, I always said it’s dangerous but now I need to come up with a new excuse.”
Kroos will now need to gear up from this highly emotional evening to focus on the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. The German sniper will want to end his football career on the highest note by winning his sixth Champions League crown with Real Madrid, after which he can look forward to spending more quality time with Jessica and his children.
