Former national soccer player Max Kruse reacted angrily to criticism from former national coach Joachim Löw. “The fact that a former national coach who is not known for getting out of his skin reacts like that to something like this actually says it all,” said Kruse on Monday in Cologne on the sidelines of the no-field Baller League.
The day before, Löw had denied Kruse’s claim in a TV interview with “Bild Sport” that the reason for his non-consideration for the 2014 World Cup was a woman’s visit to his hotel room the night before the international match in England in November 2013. “The truth is: He just wasn’t good enough,” said Löw. The former Bundesliga professional had his qualities as a player. “But Max would sometimes have been better off in the Uwe Seeler traditional team because the pace and his dynamism in the game were simply a bit too little,” said Löw and explained: “We wanted to become world champions in football – and not in poker.”
Kruse: “A bit disrespectful”
“If there was really no truth behind what I said, you wouldn’t go into it like that,” countered Kruse: “Then you would say it was because of the performance. If he had just said that, no one would have said anything. But it seemed a bit disrespectful.”
The criticism makes “no sense,” said the 35-year-old, who ended his playing career last November. “Not for me anyway, because I know what it was like. But it basically makes no sense to say I wasn’t good enough and then invite me back two months later after the World Cup. Then apparently I was good enough again.”
The mood was still good: national coach Joachim Löw and Max Kruse (second from left), here in 2015: Image: Picture Alliance
Kruse sees his future less and less in football after his professional career ends. After recently declaring that he wanted to “get out of the football world first”, the 35-year-old now said: “My plan is definitely moving further and further away from football and more and more towards other things.” He is currently a team manager in the Small-field league Baller League and has already substituted himself. “For now, this is my sporting home,” said Kruse on Monday: “And maybe a little district league gaming with friends. But I have so many interests outside of football, there will definitely be one or two things to come.”
Christian Kamp Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 10 A comment from Christian Kamp Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 15 Elisabeth Schmelzerl, Munich Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 8
At the end of November, Kruse terminated his contract with second division club SC Paderborn after just five months and five games. He had previously played for Werder Bremen, FC St. Pauli, SC Freiburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg, Fenerbahce Istanbul and 1. FC Union Berlin. The striker played 14 international matches.
