Max Kruse is moving from Union Berlin to Wolfsburg

Max Kruse has the reputation of being an original contemporary. When he played in Mönchengladbach, he could be seen in the traffic from afar: he was driving a camouflage-colored Maserati. His extravagances were not just limited to the color design of the means of transport. Kruse is an accomplished poker player. A few years ago, he made headlines when he left a high five-figure sum in a taxi after a poker tournament.

Kruse is a gambler, nervously resilient even on the soccer field. No Bundesliga professional converts his penalties as casually and confidently as he does. The fact that he was one of the outstanding players at Union Berlin completed his status as a cult figure. Because Kruse had worked in many places. At SC Freiburg, at Werder Bremen, at VfL Wolfsburg, even a trip to Turkey to Fenerbahce was there.

When he showed up in Berlin a year and a half ago, it looked like he was finding what belongs together: the underdog from Köpenick, who is able to evade all clichés – and the non-conformist poker face, who just lacked a little more dynamism for a world career.

Kruse, the renegade, was a godsend for Union

Being inscrutable: Kruse has managed to do that over the years. His decisions were not always understandable. And so it is now. Union Berlin announced on Sunday evening that Max Kruse would leave the club. The coach Urs Fischer will have to do without his best offensive power.

At the advanced football age of 33, Kruse scored 18 goals in 32 appearances for Berlin. For Union, this is a rude break. It is illusory that Kruse can only be replaced halfway in the short term, the Bundesliga only has a few footballers of his caliber. In this respect, he, the renegade, was a stroke of luck for Union.

The upturn that the Berliners are experiencing and thanks to which they can even hope to take part in a European competition again has a lot to do with Kruse’s commitment. Nobody wants to deny that. Dirk Zingler, the President, can be quoted as saying that the most successful phase in the club’s history can also be attributed to the performance of Max Kruse: “However, if he now deliberately decides against the chance to make history with Union this season , let’s accept that.” The fact that the veteran still brings in five million euros for the club, even though his contract was only valid for half a year, underlines the value that both clubs ascribe to him.

No embarrassing pathos when leaving

Kruse himself bit back embarrassing pathos: “I thank you all for your trust in me – and now I ask you for your understanding of my decision to accept an offer that is long-term and highly endowed.”

One has to give Kruse credit for revealing his motives. Understanding the transfer market as a game, getting the best out of yourself: Isn’t that what makes a good player? Especially since Kruse has always understood how to correct every mistake. That’s how it was on his trip to Turkey, and that’s how it was when he left Werder Bremen for Wolfsburg, where he became a support.

It would be wrong to accuse Kruse of pure greed for profit. In Wolfsburg he meets coach Florian Kohfeldt. Kruse had once worked successfully with him in Bremen. Kruse was able to halfway maintain the level at other stations, Kohfeldt not: He led Werder Bremen from the first to the second Bundesliga. The fact that Kruse – and also Union – was in a good negotiating position is due to the Wolfsburg emergency. Center forward Wout Weghorst will leave Wolfsburg for Burnley FC in England, the position that was to be filled is all the more important as the club is lagging far behind expectations.

But the change is always risky for Kruse: At Union he was able to rehabilitate himself from the reputation of being an unsound professional. If the Wolfsburg chapter fails, this outstanding footballer would one day only be considered an erratic oddball.