Since retiring, ex-national player Max Kruse has been playing for a Berlin district league team. The words of a friend encouraged him to try something more intensively at the same time: with the upper league team TuS Dassendorf. There is work ahead of him…
Max Kruse doesn’t yet feel fit enough for a full-time debut at TuS Dassendorf in the fifth league. “As of today, I would say: It’s not enough for 90 minutes in the top league,” said the 37-year-old on RTL/ntv. Kruse ended his professional career at SC Paderborn in the second division at the end of 2023. He has been playing for the Berlin district league team Al-Dersimspor II since April 2024 – and in the future also for Dassendorf.
“The right to play a second game is possible because there is a distance of 200 kilometers and we play in the district league with Dersim,” explains Kruse. “I’m trying to combine it a bit. Whether I can play two games every weekend remains to be seen.”
After his commitment to Dassendorf was clear, he trained a little more, Kruse said: “Especially on vacation, now over Christmas and New Year, I went running a lot to improve my fitness level a little.” As a footballer, you know that everything comes from training and games. “We now have just under two to three weeks until the start of the season in the league. And I will use the time to get myself as fit as possible,” emphasized the 14-time national player.
At his new club, Kruse will play together with his friend Martin Harnik (38), who has been working for Dassendorf since October 2020. Both played together in their youth for a Hamburg suburban club, and later as professionals they also played for a while at SV Werder Bremen.
Kruse took Harnik’s words as a challenge
“Martin was always of the opinion that I wasn’t fit enough for Dassendorf. That triggered me, and that’s why I thought: New Year’s resolutions, why not?” Kruse explains his decision. “It just excites me to play at that level again. That’s why I thought I’d just accept the challenge. We’ll see whether it works in the end and how often I’m actually there.”
However, he will only return to the team with a further delay after his presentation on Monday. He has a few appointments, explained Kruse. Next week he will be in training camp with his other team. “From January 19th, I’ll definitely be at every training session for the last two weeks before the start of the season. Then we’ll see if it’s enough for the squad.”
Kruse played more than 300 games for various clubs in the Bundesliga. He was also briefly active for the traditional Istanbul club Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He also gained experience in the Hamburg Oberliga. In 2010, Kruse played a league game for FC St. Pauli’s second team.
dpa/mel
