Paderborn’s next glamor coup
Max Kruse had not imagined it that way
By Tobias Nordman
06/30/2023, 8:20 p.m
The inglorious departure from VfL Wolfsburg should not end Max Kruse’s career. The 35-year-old wanted to decide for himself when to stop. And preferably as a first division player. That can still happen, but for the time being the way goes to East Westphalia.
After his move to SC Paderborn 07, one cannot do without a pun on Max Kruse’s favorite pastime. The small club from East Westphalia is playing big gambles by signing the footballer who has been without a club for seven months. One can assume that at least the financial risk is limited. Kruse is 35 years old and has been away from the professional business for quite some time. The big salaries that are said to have been paid to him once will not exist at the second division club. But the club throws its quiet existence into the pot. Because with Kruse there is suddenly not only a brilliant footballer, but also an eccentric who can put a lot of stress on clubs.
First of all, the euphoria is great. Kruse is a gigantic gift of attention for the club and the 2nd division. Normally the focus of the national media would be on FC Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC, the relegated giants. Or Hamburger SV, who once again really want to get promoted. Or newcomer SV Elversberg 07.
Paderborn would have placed itself somewhere in the shadow of the ambitious giants or those looking for support and exciting dwarfs. But with Kruse, the East Westphalia catapult themselves straight to the top of the attention. Mediocrity or a shadowy existence does not work with the dazzling star. The sports club has already experienced how complicated the symbiosis between provincialism (sorry!) and glamor can be when Stefan Effenberg was hired as a trainer and failed miserably.
Kruse quarrels with Kovac
Even with Kruse, the failure scenario cannot be ruled out. The 35-year-old last played professional football ten months ago. He was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes of VfL Wolfsburg’s 4-2 home defeat. After that, his time ended abruptly. Coach Niko Kovac banned the extrovert star player from the professional squad. “We demand 100% identification and concentration from every player with a focus on VfL – we didn’t have that feeling with Max,” said Kovac at the time. Kruse later countered decisively: “It was the first time in the 15 years of my professional career that that was said about me. I always gave my maximum everywhere. Of course, things didn’t go so well under Niko Kovac, for the whole team in the Not at the beginning. And it was probably the easiest thing to make myself the scapegoat.”
In retrospect, he described his completely surprising move from Union Berlin to VfL in January 2022 as a mistake. “I was 33 last year. I couldn’t refuse this offer,” Kruse said. “A year later it’s easy to say: The move sucked. Of course it didn’t end well for me.” His career had previously been quite successful with just 14 international matches and participation in the Olympics in Tokyo. His statistics include 370 first and second division games for Wolfsburg, Union, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Werder Bremen, SC Freiburg and FC St. Pauli. He scored 117 goals.
Social media activity as a problem?
The end in Wolfsburg added damage to his career. After his contract was terminated at the end of November, there was no club in the winter that wanted to sign the 14-time national player. Kruse says there are clubs that don’t appreciate his activities on social media channels, they have signaled that they have refrained from his commitment because of this. From now on, he confessed at the time, that he wanted to focus more on football. “Things like YouTube are fun for me, but they’re not vital to me either. I could also say we’ll stop that.”
Kruse wanted to put up with it and kept talking. “It’s clear to me that I want to play football in the summer, wherever that is, everyone who knows me knows I have to feel good too,” he told Sky broadcaster in March. “There’s a lot of preparation in the summer. I think I can show again that I might be able to do it then.” He also did not rule out the end of his career. “If nothing happens in the summer, then you have to honestly question yourself and say that maybe that’s it,” he said. “But I’ll give it 100 percent gas again by the summer.” The basic fitness can be worked out. “And I’ll do that until the summer. I don’t think I’ve forgotten how to play football.”
Actually it should go in league one
And Kruse has an undisputed extra class. His ingenuity on the ball is one extreme of this guy, who has always rubbed shoulders with his coaches. Ex-national coach Joachim Löw never found sustainable contact with this talented offensive player. At the other extreme is his love of life, which may have prevented him from having a much bigger career on the pitch. The stories of legendary poker nights, of forgotten thousands of euros in a taxi, of a very pronounced fondness for sweet spreads, they have long been told exhaustively.
But now it should be time for football and sporting headlines again. “Finally it’s that time again, I can kick the ball again. I’m really in the mood for football, I’m hungry for success and want to attack with SC Paderborn 07!” said Kruse, who gets shirt number 10, at his presentation he immediately flanked with great ambitions: “With the Bundesliga being relegated, an enormous quality has been added to the league. I’m optimistic that we will play attractive football again this year. I’m looking forward to the fans and hope that everyone will give me a warm welcome in the team.”
Not a word more that Kruse had actually pursued other plans. In mid-May he told “Zeit” about his comeback plans: “The preference is for Germany. The first division would be a highlight, that’s where I want to go back.” This must succeed in the coming season via the detour Unterhaus. A challenge for Kruse and the club. You are guaranteed attention. Not the success.