Could Toni Kroos be set for a sensational return to Real Madrid? The midfielder has broken his silence on the swirling rumours

Pressed by his brother and co-host Felix—who had spent recent days dodging the question and insisting he knew nothing—Kroos replied, “That’s the answer you can keep giving.”

Spanish sports paper AS recently reported that the 2014 World Cup winner is on the verge of returning to his former club, where he will be closely integrated into the sporting structure. Although the exact role has not been revealed, sources say the club is discussing the newly created position of sporting director.

Kroos retired in 2024 after ten years with Real Madrid, during which he won the Champions League five times and La Liga four times. Yet for the past two seasons the club has fallen well short of expectations. This campaign began with the departure of former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, and despite Álvaro Arbeloa taking over, performances failed to recover.

They have already been eliminated from the cup, sit nine points behind league leaders FC Barcelona with seven rounds left, and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage after losing twice to FC Bayern Munich (1-2, 3-4). A trophy-less campaign now looks inevitable for a club accustomed to silverware.

Arbeloa is now widely expected to leave the club; The Athletic rates it “very likely” that their paths will part before the summer. After the Allianz Arena reverse, the Spaniard insisted he would “respect every decision” the club makes.

Should Arbeloa step down, Athletic-Info reports that several candidates are already under consideration. Jürgen Klopp’s name is still being discussed at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, despite his recent insistence that he will not return to management any time soon.

Former coach Zinedine Zidane remains close to president Florentino Pérez and is in the running, though he is said to be weighing a move to manage the French national team. Didier Deschamps is under contract with Les Bleus until the summer, yet his name has also surfaced in recent speculation.