Transfer coup in his homeland
Max Kruse is looking forward to “really great league games”
01/06/2026 – 04:09 amReading time: 2 minutes
After his professional career, Max Kruse fulfilled one wish: the former national player will play in the Hamburg Oberliga in the future.
Max Kruse will be playing together with his old friend Martin Harnik again in the Hamburg Oberliga. The 37-year-old former football professional is joining TuS Dassendorf, for which the 38-year-old Harnik has been playing since October 2020.
The fifth division club from Schleswig-Holstein announced the signing of the 14-time national player on Monday evening. Kruse and Harnik had already played together in their youth at a Hamburg suburban club and later again at SV Werder Bremen.
“The idea of returning to Hamburg has actually been around since the end of my active professional career,” Kruse, who comes from Reinbek, is quoted in the statement. “I’m all the more pleased that it has finally worked out almost three years later. With TuS Dassendorf, I absolutely chose the right address. My father grew up and went to school in Dassendorf, and I come from the neighboring town.”
He was looking forward to “really great league games in Hamburg,” said the offensive player, who played for the Berlin district league team Al-Dersimspor II after the end of his professional career in 2023 with second division team SC Paderborn. It was “amazing to play with Martin again. It will definitely be a highlight.”
The 2021 Olympic participant has played over 300 games in the Bundesliga for various clubs 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 a league game for FC St. Pauli’s second team.