Only a few hours until the transfer final on Monday at 6 p.m. And there is still a change blast in the Bundesliga!
Union striker Max Kruse (33) returns to VfL Wolfsburg!
To the club he played for in 2015/16 and which is now coached by Florian Kohfeldt (39). During his time at Werder (2016 to 2019), Kruse was the favorite player of the then Bremen coach Kohfeldt, who now absolutely wants to work with him again.
Kruse’s contract in Berlin expires in the summer of 2022, Wolfsburg is not far from the capital (90 minutes by ICE). There Kruse met and married his wife.
In terms of sport, the transfer is a relegation for the ex-national player. Kruse changes from fourth to 15th in the league. In the worst case, he will play in the second division next season.
Union President Dirk Zingler (57) could not help but say goodbye to Kruse: “The sportingly most successful and economically most valuable phase of our club’s history is due not only to many players, coaches and employees, but also to Max Kruse, we will not forget that. However, if he consciously decides not to have the chance to make history with Union this season, we accept that.”
Zingler continues: “The task of the executive committee of 1. FC Union Berlin is to protect the interests of the club. For all transfers, we do this in coordination with the managing director of professional football and the head coach. We have mutually decided not to contractually force Max to stay with Union against his will, but to have the sporting loss compensated financially appropriately.
Kruse’s contract in Wolfsburg runs until 2023.
Union Berlin can be consoled with a transfer fee of around five million euros. In four months they wouldn’t have gotten anything for Kruse.
Union tweeted: “It was a nice year and a half, Max Kruse.”
Kruse justifies his decision in an official statement: “I thank you all for your trust in me – and now I ask you for your understanding for my decision to accept an offer that is long-term and highly endowed. It’s about a club where I still have a chapter open.”
