Complicated balancing act
Ex-DFB professional now plays for two clubs
Updated on January 6, 2026 – 5:14 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
Max Kruse wants to know again: The former Bundesliga professional is moving to the Oberliga Hamburg. However, he will remain with his club in Berlin. How he wants to do it.
Max Kruse is back in Hamburg: The former German international is moving to TuS Dassendorf in the top league. This was announced on Monday. A day later, the 37-year-old once again spoke in detail about the reasons for his move – and also had a surprising detail ready.
Because: Kruse’s involvement with the fifth division club from Schleswig-Holstein by no means means his end with the district division team BSV Al-Dersimspor in Berlin. “I won’t leave Dersim, I’ll play for both clubs,” explains Kruse in his Instagram story on Tuesday. “This is possible because of a second game right that you can apply for.”
But because the higher-class team – in this case Oberliga Dassendorf – has to be run as the main club, he officially moved to Dassendorf. He is now applying for the right to play a second game at his club in Berlin.
“My aim is to play great football again in Hamburg,” Kruse continues. He has also had a lot of fun in Berlin in recent years. As second in the table in the district league, the Berlin club is also playing for promotion. “I’m up for it too,” admits Kruse – even though he knows: “It won’t be easy.”
Because: In the future, Kruse will commute between the two megacities. “I’m not moving to Hamburg for the time being,” reveals the striker, who points to further activities and a TV job at private broadcaster RTL. Conversely, this also means that he cannot complete all training sessions with the upper league team TuS Dassendorf. “If it doesn’t work out, then I won’t be in the squad for a weekend,” said Kruse.
But his goal is to go to training and play as often as possible and to bring his experience to the top league team on and off the pitch. “I’m keen on this project. Especially because of Hamburg, of course: a connection that has existed since my childhood. I grew up there and played against many clubs there, which is why I’m just excited to return to Hamburg football,” he explains.
The 2021 Olympic participant has played more than 300 games in the Bundesliga for various clubs (including Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach and SC Freiburg) and was also briefly active for the traditional Istanbul club Fenerbahçe in Turkey. Kruse also gained experience in the Hamburg Oberliga. In 2010 Kruse played for the second team FC St Pauli a league game.