Max Kruse spoke up after his intoxication at VfL Wolfsburg. The 34-year-old was surprised but combative and ruled out the end of his career for the time being.
“I give everything for the club and that will continue to be the case when I’m on the pitch in training,” Max Kruse wrote in a post on Instagram on Sunday. His head coach Niko Kovac recently had a completely different impression.
Kovac surprisingly threw Kruse out of the team after the game against Eintracht Frankfurt, where the 34-year-old was not even in the matchday squad. “We demand 100% identification and concentration from every player with a focus on VfL. We didn’t have that feeling with Max, so he wasn’t there and won’t be there in the future,” said Kovac on Sky. The Wolfsburg head coach categorically ruled out Max Kruse’s return, even answering the question of whether this would end a great Bundesliga career with “yes”.
But Kruse doesn’t want to know anything about that. “I decide for myself when my time in the Bundesliga is over – and nobody else,” said the veteran on Instagram. In any case, his release is “surprising not only for me”. The facts in the Causa Kruse do not seem to be really disclosed yet. “I respect the coach’s opinion, but apparently I shouldn’t identify with the club anymore,” Kruse said. Sounds like guilt shifting; alone: who is to blame now? And what really happened.
There will be no public clarification on this (for the time being). Rather, VfL is already working on a solution to get rid of Kruse as soon as possible. If there is no option to sell the 34-year-old in winter, the wolves should even consider terminating the contract. “We will settle that, but not on the marketplace. These are things that will be discussed bilaterally,” explained Managing Director Sport Jörg Schmadtke on Sunday to kicker. Schmadtke emphasized that “Max’s influence was no longer wanted and was not beneficial.” Therefore, the decision was made jointly by the management level and the executives to release Kruse. “He didn’t steal a golden spoon. Max helped us in a complicated situation with his goals and assists in the second half of last season. Now we’ve made a decision that’s important for the long-term perspective,” concluded Schmadtke.
This article was originally published on 90min.com/de as After Aus in Wolfsburg: Max Kruse and Jörg Schmadtke take a stand.
