Max Kruse works on his career as an internet star. However, his current YouTube videos are unlikely to appeal to his employer VfL Wolfsburg.
In his new column “Schlag den Max”, the suspended professional takes aim at his situation with cheeky remarks. After an accidental shot, he says: “You can tell that I’ve been suspended for a few days.”
Together with his wife Dilara, the 34-year-old presented the new section on the “Die Kruses” channel, in which he competes with guests. For the first episode he invited the former Rostock and Wolfsburg player Kevin Pannewitz, who was once predicted to have a great career – but he never had a breakthrough. Pannewitz is now part of the newly founded Berlin amateur football club Delay Sports, which was founded by an influencer and is cheered on by followers.
In the first episode of the format, both dueled in target shooting and free kicks. There was no shortage of provocative jokes: When his wife Dilara asked him if the goalkeeper’s warm-up was not his job, he replied: “I’ve done it more often now, but I’m slowly trying to concentrate on other things again.”
Both alluded to his thankless task at VfL to warm up the goalkeeper. Bundesliga coach Niko Kovac had suspended Kruse and publicly stated that he would no longer play a game for the club. Even on Thursday in the test match of VfL against second division Hansa Rostock (0:0) Kruse was not in the squad.
His contract situation is still open. Kruse has long been associated with a move to the American Major League Soccer (MLS) because his son lives there and because he has praised the USA in the past. The ex-player from Werder Bremen, Union Berlin, Borussia Mönchengladbach and SC Freiburg still has a contract with the Wolves until the end of June 2023.