Insight into club search
©IMAGO
Christoph Kramer never expected this in his life: after leaving Borussia Mönchengladbach, the 2014 world champion is no longer in demand as a footballer at clubs below the Bundesliga. As the 33-year-old reported in the weekly podcast “Copa TS” by Tommi Schmitt and Studio Bummens, no club wanted to sign him in the summer – not even without a salary.
“This over-30 market is somehow not really there. And I misjudged it too. I thought that if I came to the open market, everyone would say: Please come to me. “It wasn’t like that at all,” said Kramer. In a relaxed, conversational tone, the midfielder reported that he had charged his cell phone and turned it on loud in anticipation of calls. “I’ve already proactively approached one or two clubs and said: Hey, don’t you want to? I don’t need any more money either. I would just be up for the whole thing,” said Kramer.
But it wasn’t the case that he couldn’t save himself from offers. “And also the ones where I proactively offered myself and said, hey, watch out, I’m playing for nuts here, they also said in the end: no.” Kramer had terminated his contract in Mönchengladbach, which runs until 2025, in the summer. Since 2018 he has been working as a TV expert for ZDF and also for Prime Video for the Champions League.
Kramer admitted that it hurt him not to receive any offers as a footballer. “Having this feeling that I was no longer really wanted as a player really hurt me. In other areas, everyone wanted me to do what I usually do, but in this area, I would call it manageable,” he said.