World Cup Watch: Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos can’t come to grips with Germany’s flameout

We can add Real Madrid star Toni Kroos among those disappointed in Germany. The 2014 World Cup winner and ex-Bayern Munich midfielder still cannot process how this version of the German national team is already out of the World Cup in Qatar.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

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“I know the boys, I played with them until last year. I was there myself four years ago, after a preliminary round, and of course I could sympathize a lot. I was also extremely disappointed because I already had great ambitions for Germany and I absolutely saw opportunities there. So, like so many others, I was very disappointed,” Kroos told Magenta TV (as captured by Sport1).

“We should have got through the preliminary round with every single player we had in the squad. If we end up losing to Brazil in the quarterfinals then we can say, ‘Okay, Brazil had maybe eight world-class players and we only had four. Then we are the worse team.’ But I won’t let anyone tell me that we have less quality than Japan and that’s why we’re eliminated behind them. That’s too easy for me.”

Kroos is not alone in feeling that way. The whole situation still has many trying to sort out how it came to this. He also feels like the squad is set up

“We have leaders and players who are loud on the pitch. Jo Kimmich is sometimes almost too loud. The same goes for Toni Rüdiger, Manu (Neuer) from behind, Thomas (Müller). With their hunger, mentality and quality, they have what it takes to lead the team,” Kroos said.

The biggest question is what will Germany do to combat consecutive World Cup clunkers?

Das Reboot Part Two: Electric Boogaloo, anyone?