Michael Cuisance, this note might be necessary at the beginning, is currently playing for the bottom of the second division, VfL Osnabrück. The Frenchman is 24 years old. He was once, not that long ago, one of the most promising talents who could have become big in the Bundesliga. FC Bayern once saw this perspective in him. His transfer from Mönchengladbach to Munich, which was accompanied by much fanfare and discord, was completed in the summer of 2019. Eight million for Gladbach, a nice salary for the upstart. As it quickly turned out, however, Cuisance also signed a bad turn in his career.
Who is responsible for this, whether Bayern or himself, is a little blurred. At least that is the impression that Cuisance conveys in an interview with “Spox”. He hasn’t really been that enthusiastic about sports for a long time, and that also comes through. He was “happiest” in Gladbach, he said, “that’s where I played my first professional games, made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun. Here in Osnabrück there are no victories, but I’m finally happy again. I missed this feeling for a long time.”
In any case, at Bayern it quickly becomes clear that there isn’t much to do with him. After Niko Kovac was welcomed, his successor Hansi Flick later had no real use for him and neither did his successor Julian Nagelsmann. It will be awarded for the first time in October 2020 and Olympique Marseille will take it up.
In Gladbach they hardly had a nice word for cuisine anymore
„Hasan Salihamidzic (Bavaria’s former sports director, the editorial team) gave me a clear plan. He said that I had to move to Bayern immediately because the squad was small and I would get a lot of playing time. “Unfortunately that didn’t happen,” said Cuisance: “It was difficult for me. I didn’t play much – and when I was allowed to play, I wanted too much. That was my mistake.” In Gladbach, former manager Max Eberl once reported, the then 19-year-old “basically wanted a guarantee of a regular place that no player here has.” That was probably his first mistake in a chain that became ever longer.
In any case, in Gladbach they hardly had a kind word left for him. Teammate Christoph Kramer, for example, said about the change, which was more or less forced by Cuisance: “You don’t implement it with demands or train with open shoes to show your dissatisfaction. That’s simply not appropriate.” The image of the scandal professional was already taking shape.
Here you will find content from YouTube
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
And it took on a life of its own, Cuisance undoubtedly played its part in it. He was blamed for a lack of humility and discipline. “I just wasn’t part of these coaches’ plan. They had other players in mind,” Cuisance said in an interview. But he obviously didn’t want to accept that at the time. When he was not substituted in the 4-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg in December 2021, when he was trying to gain a foothold at Bayern after his loan from Marseille ended, he threw his shirt in the direction of coach Nagelsmann.
“In hindsight, the change was too early,” said Cuisance now. He also says: “If I had worked with a mental coach when I made my debut in Gladbach, everything would have gone better.” Football is “not always nice, but rather a rollercoaster of emotions; up, down, up, down. You need help.”
After FC Bayern, an odyssey began
He has it now. Around two months before he moved to Osnabrück last summer, his current mental coach wrote to him saying he could help him. “He had been following my career for a long time and knew my potential and my problems. I accepted the offer. I wanted to be in top shape for the new season and my new club. I didn’t want to blame myself later: if I had tried that, maybe it would have gone better.”
In fact, this was obviously sorely necessary to put a temporary end to the odyssey. Bayern, disappointed in him, sold Cuisance to FC Venezia at the beginning of January 2022, and the Italian club then loaned him to Sampdoria Genoa in January 2023. With both clubs he was relegated to the second division. Shortly before the transfer window closed, Venezia loaned him to Osnabrück.
Here you will find content from Instagram
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
“I haven’t played well in the last few years. That’s why I knew that no top club wanted me. I wanted to go to a family club where I could work in peace and improve the public image of myself. Many untruths were told about me in Germany. I want to show that I am a worker and can reach my top level again. I’m on the right track,” Cuisance said. His contract in Osnabrück runs until the summer and he is tied to Venezia until 2025. Cuisance was asked what his future plans would be. He replied, “I want to find a club where I can stay for several years and be a regular player. That is my big goal. And at some point I want to play in the Bundesliga again.”
He is a regular player in Osnabrück and, according to the specialist portal transfermarkt.de, with a market value of 1.5 million euros, he is also the most valuable player in the team. For higher orders, what Bayern once saw in him must come to the fore again. Ex-sports director Salihamidzic went into raptures about his transfer at the time; he praised Cuisance’s “huge strength” in possession play and also said he had “mentality, excellent technique and an excellent left foot”. The central midfielder is “a great talent who has great potential”.
Here you will find content from third parties
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
