“More work than fun”
Max Kruse was “just annoyed” with football
January 26, 2024, 7:06 a.m
Arrive early and train hard – the professionalization of football is not to Max Kruse’s taste. He no longer wanted to do “more work than fun,” says the former national player. He only accepted one offer: he would have moved to Saudi Arabia for a lot of money.
Former national player Max Kruse ended his career because of the high level of professionalism in top-level football. “Everything is dictated. That was never my thing. It just annoyed me. Football has become more work than fun for me,” said the 35-year-old, who announced his retirement in December, to the “Hamburger Evening paper”.
Professional football has “changed a lot” since the beginning of his career, said Kruse: “It’s already become slick today. I come from the football field and played like that in my early days in Bremen. It was carefree. Shoes on, run two laps, then you were warm. Today you have to be there an hour and a half before training,” he complained. Kruse also criticized: “The players today are pumped full of nutritional supplements.”
Nevertheless, the 14-time German national player could have imagined extending his career – in the event of a financially attractive offer from the Saudi Arabian league: “If a lucrative offer had come in, I would probably have done it,” he said: “I Apart from my wife, I have no one to keep me here in Germany.”
At the beginning of January, Kruse spoke to the multimedia portal “Deichstube” about his plans after his career. “Well, I can’t even imagine being a coach at the moment.” This is a bit “worse” compared to the task as a player because “you always have to be the first there and the last to leave,” said Kruse. “That’s why I actually want to get out of this football world for a bit.”
Kruse is very active on social networks and has repeatedly made headlines off the pitch throughout his career. Among other things, he earned money at poker tournaments and proposed to his girlfriend in front of cameras at the Olympic Games.