After victory in Frankfurt
Just a little over seven months after his return to VfL Wolfsburg, Max Kruse no longer has a future with Lower Saxony. After VfL coach Niko Kovac initially did not call the 34-year-old into the squad for the away game in Frankfurt, the coach concluded a comeback for the veteran following the 1-0 victory of the “Wolves” on the TV channel “Sky”. categorically off.
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“We demand 100% identification and concentration from every player with a focus on VfL. We didn’t have that feeling with Max. That’s why he wasn’t there and won’t be there in the future either,” explained the Croatian. When asked if this was the end of a great Bundesliga career, Kovac answered succinctly: “Yes.” Will Kruse really not play anymore? “No.” As a coach, he has a responsibility to help the team, Kovac said. “We didn’t see any impulses from Max that he could help the team. The club is above everything, and that’s why we made the decision together.” At the press conference that followed, the coach made it clear: “He won’t play any more games.”
Kruse’s move from Union Berlin to Wolfsburg had caused a stir in the winter transfer window, as the transfer came as a surprise to many and the professional had made no secret of having decided on VfL and against Union because of the lucrative offer. Since then he has contributed to 8 goals in 19 games – including his first term at VfL 2015/16, Kruse scored 16 goals in 62 games for Wolfsburg and prepared another 13. In the current season, after the change of coach from Florian Kohfeldt to Niko Kovac, he had clashed several times in public with the latter. According to reports, Kruse’s fitness and lifestyle in particular are a thorn in the side of the coach. After initially sporadic times, Kruse played 90 minutes against Leipzig and Cologne, but remained pale.
In Frankfurt, Kovac continued his search for a sparkling tactical system and a winning starting XI, returning to the back four with a 4-4-2 and, as in every game, making changes to the squad, this time on three positions compared to the 4-2 draw against Cologne. Kruse was not part of the squad. When asked about the personnel, he kept a low profile in the run-up to the game: “It makes no sense to discuss individuals. We are a team, everyone has to do their part to ensure that we are successful. Everyone has to work together. Football has now become so good that just ten, nine or seven field players are not enough.”
Kruse is said to have been in Berlin during the Bundesliga games on Saturday. His contract with Lower Saxony runs until the end of the season, but according to Kovac’s most recent statements, the signs are pointing to farewell – at the latest in the winter transfer window.
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