Max Kruse ends his illustrious career
Over and out: Max Kruse, one of the most enigmatic figures in German soccer, is officially retiring. The 14-time international was brilliant on the ball - but he repeatedly caused scandals off the pitch. Joachim Löw is unlikely to congratulate him on his retirement.
Former international footballer Max Kruse has announced the end of his career. Around four weeks after terminating his contract with second division club SC Paderborn, the 35-year-old announced in a live video on Instagram this evening that he was retiring with immediate effect.
The attacker's move was not unexpected. In Paderborn, the 14-time international had fallen far short of expectations after his much-publicized move to League Two in the summer and only played 194 minutes due to injury. His previous spell at VfL Wolfsburg had already ended prematurely in November 2022 with the termination of his contract, after which he was without a club for more than six months.
In the Bundesliga, the often brilliant Kruse played 307 games for Werder Bremen, St. Pauli, Freiburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg and Union Berlin, scoring 97 goals. He also had a one-year stint at Fenerbahçe Istanbul (2019/20).
Scandals and a marriage proposal
Kruse played for the national team under national coach Joachim Löw from 2013 to 2015, before Löw decided to do without the extroverted striker. As Kruse admitted afterwards, Löw was annoyed that the professional was bringing his private life too much into the public eye. He was later part of the national team that took part in the 2021 Olympic tournament - and proposed to his then-girlfriend live on TV.
Kruse also liked to attract attention off the pitch. In 2009, he rapped half-naked about sex workers and sex practices, in 2013 he bought a swanky Maserati in camouflage colors, and he is said to have been visited by ladies in the team hotel while playing for the DFB team. When a "Bild" reporter took unsolicited photos of him in a Berlin nightclub in 2016, he quickly took her cell phone and deleted the pictures. The list goes on and on. Löw then kicked Kruse out of the DFB squad for good.
Kruse not only impressed on the soccer pitch, but also at the poker table. When he won 75,000 euros at a tournament in Berlin, he forgot the money in a cab.
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Source: www.ntv.de
