Toni Kroos jokingly blamed Niclas Fullkrug for his training ground spat with Antonio Rudiger but insists the face-off could actually benefit the Euro 2024 hosts.
The Real Madrid defender was at the heart of a tense incident earlier this week. Rudiger was paired with Fullkrug in a crossing drill during a public training session. The duo tussled, with the Dortmund star falling to the floor. He reacted angrily, with coach Sandro Wagner then forced to intervene and separate the pair as they ‘almost came to blows’.
Tensions soon simmered down. Star midfielder Kroos has now shared his view on the incident and claimed that he would actively encourage it - despite jokingly laying the blame with Dortmund forward Fullkrug.
Speaking to ESPN, he said: "I see it as a good thing when situations like this occur. Although I had to take the wind out of the sails a little, it wasn't meant to be taken too seriously.
"The only person Niclas was angry with was the referee. He knows that it's his own fault if he gets into a duel with Toni."
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Both Rudiger and Fullkrug, who are close off the pitch, now appear to have made up. The latter shared an image of the pair on Instagram with the caption "jumping into Euro week," to which Rudiger replied "Lüüüüückkkkkkkkeeeee" alongside a heart emoji.
Rudiger and Fullkrug were both then pictured embracing and smiling during Germany’s latest training session on Tuesday. Julian Nagelsmann’s men now have just a matter of days left to finalise their preparations for their opening group game against Scotland.
Antonio Rudiger and Niclas Fullkrug appear to have made up (Getty Images)Who will win Euro 2024? Share your predictions in the comments below
Speaking about the upcoming tournament, Kroos added: "Basically, at every tournament on home soil [there is pressure]. It is even more special. You get feedback instantly, the positive and the negative.
“We have a big responsibility for the atmosphere in the country for the next few weeks. We know what this is about but it is also a great honour and joy to play this tournament."
Following their clash with Scotland, Germany then face further group games against Hungary and Switzerland. Speaking about his side’s opening group game, Fullkrug said: “We learnt some lessons from the Greece game which will be useful against Scotland. I’m interested to see how the coaches will prepare us for the game.
"I watched a Scotland match and they played differently to how I expected. They press very high. Against us, there’ll be phases where they’ll sit deeper.
"They try to get into shooting situations as quickly as possible, so it’ll be important that we counter that and not let them show their dynamism. We’ll prepare intensively this week. It’s not just about preparing for the opponent, but also keeping our energy levels up and improving ourselves."
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