Felix Kroos, born in 1991, was born in Greifswald on the Baltic Sea. The former professional footballer ended his professional career in July 2021 at the age of 30. 

It was a conscious decision for him after a total of 24 years as a footballer, 13 of which were in the professional game. After playing youth football in Greifswald and Rostock, where he also played his first professional matches at the age of 17, he went on to play for SV Werder Bremen (5.5 years), 1.FC Union Berlin (4.5 years) and Eintracht Braunschweig (1 year). 

Felix Kroos: ‘Leadership in football & leadership in business: everything depends on clear communication.’

Felix Kroos Topics:

- Dealing with public pressure
- Team spirit, motivation, success
- Crisis management in professional football
- Taking responsibility and leading as a leader

One issue that has been present throughout Felix Kroos' career is public pressure. This has arisen for two reasons. Firstly, as a teenager, when he played for all of the DFB's youth national teams up to the U21s, he was considered one of the most talented players of his age group in Germany. Secondly, he was always being compared to his brother Toni Kroos, who is a year older and still enjoys a successful international career. Felix has developed his own way of dealing with this over the years.

Felix Kroos has always identified strongly with his club and team spirit has played an important role for him.

This meant that he was always keen to motivate his teammates and support them in becoming more successful. Felix Kroos took great pleasure in taking on responsibility within a team, especially when it came to overcoming difficult situations at the club. These included promotion to the Bundesliga with 1. FC Union Berlin (2019), a Champions League match for SV Werder Bremen (2011) and several successful battles against relegation from the Bundesliga. Two relegations from the 2nd Bundesliga with Hansa Rostock and Eintracht Braunschweig are also important, albeit painful, experiences for Felix Kroos.

Today, Felix Kroos and his brother Toni Kroos host Germany's most successful and widely listened to football podcast (Einfach mal Luppen), which even appeared on television during the 2022 World Cup with its own innovative format on Magenta TV. He is also an ambassador for the Toni Kroos Foundation and a recognised TV expert on football.  

Felix Kroos is available for lectures, interviews, talk shows and panel discussions.