Pain reliever in the active career
Ex-bremer seriously ill: “Who knows how long I will still live”
08.10.2025 – 2:26 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
His career was characterized by success and severe setbacks. Now Ivan Klasnić speaks about the health consequences.
For years Ivan Klasnić was under contract with Werder Bremen, winning the club, among other things, the German Championship and the DFB Cup (2004). However, kidney disease was not adequately treated during his sporting career-with far-reaching consequences for the 45-year-old today.
In the ARD documentary “Hirschhausen and the Pain”, the former striker reported openly about his story of suffering: Doctors had prescribed diclofenac several times, i.e. Voltaren. The problem with this: The medicine has reinforced the kidney disease of ex-professional, which was not sufficiently diagnosed at the time.
Klasnić said: “It is difficult to leave it away to bring performance. I think that no professional sport can be done without pain relievers.” But: “If I had known that I had problems, I would not have taken the funds.”
As early as 2007, Klasnić underwent a first kidney transplant during his career. In the meantime, the former Croatian international carries his third donor organ. Klasnić clearly formulated his anger about the treatment errors at the time: “Of course I’m angry. I do not wish everyone.”
In 2008 he drew legal consequences: Klasnić sued the former club doctors of Werder Bremen in front of the Bremen district court because they did not recognize his illness in good time. Twelve years later, the parties agreed on a comparison. Klasnić received around 4.5 million euros in damages. But: “Every money you got will not bring your health back to you.” And further: “Who knows how long I will live. You have to be grateful – even if I am sick and have to take tablets – that you can still live this life.”