Transfer coup
Oberliga team signs Max Kruse
01/06/2026 – 02:07 amReading time: 2 minutes
Transfer coup in the Hamburg Oberliga: Max Kruse has found a new club. There he meets an old companion from his Bundesliga days.
TuS Dassendorf has achieved a spectacular transfer: ex-national player Max Kruse is joining the Hamburg upper division club. The club announced this on Monday evening.
The 36-year-old, who last played for Al-Dersimspor in the district league, meets an old friend at Dassendorf: Martin Harnik. Kruse once played together for Werder Bremen with the former Bundesliga striker. Harnik has been playing for the nine-time Hamburg champions since October 2020.
“The idea of returning to Hamburg has actually been around since the end of my active professional career,” said Kruse. “I’m all the more pleased that it finally worked out almost three years later.” The choice of the club also has family reasons: “My father grew up and went to school in Dassendorf, and I come from the neighboring town.”
The native of Reinbek is looking forward to “really great league games in Hamburg” and hopes to be able to help the team. He described the reunion with Harnik as “definitely a highlight”.
TuS sports director Hakan Karadiken emphasized that Kruse didn’t come for the attention: “Max doesn’t come to us because of a name or the attention, but because he’s interested in football and wants to help the team.” The ex-national player will be gradually integrated into the team through training.
In his professional career, Kruse played for Werder Bremen, SC Freiburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg and Union Berlin, among others. He also completed international matches for the German national team. TuS Dassendorf is currently in third place in the Oberliga Hamburg – five points behind league leaders ETSV Hamburg.