DFB.de regularly presents first-team players for whom an unusual week lies ahead. Today, ahead of the opening day of the Bundesliga: Max Kruse, who is to make his Bundesliga debut for VfL Wolfsburg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday (15:30 CEST).
On Monday, Max Kruse returned to the Millerntor Stadium, home of FC St. Pauli. The opportunity was most convenient for the 27-year-old, who had already carried out his day’s work two days before. The Germany international had the day off and so was free to watch some football and revisit the past – on two levels. After all, he used to be there all the time, in St. Pauli in Hamburg – only back then his view was not from the stands, but from the pitch. He played exactly 100 games for FC St. Pauli; Kruse is a Hamburg boy through and through, and he has remained forever in touch with his roots in the city not just through his son Lauro Maxim. Kruse returned to the stands this week, seeing lots of familiar faces and, as far as one could tell, enjoying his evening as a football spectator.
However on Saturday, he was the one providing footballing entertainment to others, namely the fans and staff members of VfL Wolfsburg. In their 4-1 win in the first round of the DFB Cup away at Stuttgarter Kickers, Kruse scored the opening goal; his first competitive goal for the current league runners-up and DFB Cup holders.
Allofs: Kruse "improves our quality going forward"
Kruse is considered the top summer signing among the VfL Wolfsburg faithful. With the addition of the striker, there are now hopes for even more flexibility. With Bas Dost, World-Cup winner André Schürrle and Niklas Bendtner, the attacking force of VfL is already a formidable outfit, and will be blessed with even more variety in the shape of Kruse. "We wanted a different type of striker from those already in our squad," explained manager Dieter Hecking at Kruse’s unveiling. "We don’t want to become too predictable."
The manager was and is convinced of Kruse’s quality, as is sporting director Klaus Allofs, who knows the 27-year-old from his days at Bremen and rates him highly. Allofs was always impressed by Kruse’s abilities, even back at Werder Bremen over six years ago. Today, the sporting director says: "He’s the type of player our squad has been missing, and he will improve our quality going forward even further." Kruse possesses a combination of skills that play a major role in football: his finishing ability and his ability to assist are of an almost equally high standard.
Statistics from the last three seasons reveal that in 2012/13 he achieved eleven goals and nine assists, and in the last two seasons, his tally of goals and assists reached double figures in both campaigns. Aside from these statistics, he possesses qualities that are no less important, but difficult to measure over the course of seasons. "We’ve signed a top professional, who has cool, silky skills at his disposal." says Allofs. "He brings a number of attributes with him that will improve us in the coming season."
"I’ve always made the right choices"
Welcome messages were in abundance, and after his first competitive game, the welcoming was followed by praise. In the first round of the DFB Cup Wolfsburg beat Stuttgart Kickers emphatically by four goals to one. Kruse played a major role in the victory, scoring one goal himself and impressively assisting a further two. Manager Hecking at least was pleased, and expressed his appreciation post-match: "I thought Max had a great game. He made major contributions to our important passages of play."
It has been a successful start to the season for the DFB Cup holders and Max Kruse. A lot is new for him now. However, change is no new experience for Kruse - in the last four years he has been with St. Pauli, Freiburg, Gladbach and Wolfsburg. He has never stayed with a club for more than two seasons. He either has a general tendency to change, or a sixth sense for when the time is right to take the next step. However, Kruse has never found himself lost along the way. While never staying at one club, he has always stayed on the right track. "I have always made the right choices in my life" – an indisputable claim.
His international career confirms this. Kruse got his first taste of first team experience during Die Mannschaft’s USA tour in 2013, and since the World Cup in Brazil 2014 he has become a regular fixture in Germany’s international outfit. 13 caps is the current statistic on his CV – the striker has scored three goals in those games, and was named man of the match by the Fan Club Nationalmannschaft on two occasions. Three years ago he was still in the second division, now an established member of the World-Cup winners... Not the worst path for your career to take.
"The family feel at St. Pauli was unbelievable"
The latest change in his career has brought him to Wolfsburg in Niedersachsen, to many people’s surprise. In Mönchengladbach, Kruse was part of an ever-improving club and a solid team. His development under manager Lucien Favre did not go unnoticed, and it was going well for Kruse at the Fohlenelf. Nevertheless, he is convinced that he has made the right decision to leave. "What impressed me were the talks with Klaus Allofs and Dieter Hecking. Gladbach had good prospects themselves, but Wolfsburg want to keep challenging at the top end of the table. VfL are one of the best clubs in Germany. I’ve always wanted to go to a club like this. When you get an offer like this, you don’t say no."
And when you don’t say "no", there aren’t many alternatives. So he said "yes", and here he is. That is, when he’s not spending his time in his hometown, just like on Monday at the cup game in the Millerntor. The result from Kruse’s perspective: without him, his former club lost 4-1, alternatively, without him his former club won 4-1. The Bundesliga side prevailed. As two of his former clubs went head-to-head, this is not the result that Kruse was hoping for – despite his close affiliations with Gladbach, the striker was crossing his fingers for St. Pauli. "I’m from Hamburg, so I’m far more emotionally attached to St. Pauli, although I obviously also had a great time with Gladbach. The clubs have similarities in their tradition, but for the time while I was at St. Pauli at least, the family feel was unbelievable."
Bundesliga debut for Wolfsburg against Frankfurt
Perhaps the 27-year old will one day say these things about VfL Wolfsburg. For the time being, he is just pleased to have got off to a successful start with the cup winners and league runners-up. After the cup, he turns to the next challenge of making his first Bundesliga appearance for Wolfsburg. The Wolves’ first opponent puts Kruse up against an old acquaintance of his. On Sunday (15:30 CEST), VfL play host to Frankfurter Eintracht, the club against which Kruse has played more than any other – eleven times to be exact. However, with three wins, three draws, and five defeats, his record against the team from Hessen is not particularly successful.
Nevertheless, Kruse has never lost against Frankfurt in a Wolfsburg shirt, and they hope to keep it that way on Sunday. After all, the Germany international has big aspirations with his new employers. "The team’s aspiration has to be to have another season like the last one," says Kruse, "and to be ready for when Bayern falter." In the Super Cup final a fortnight ago, this was exemplified well. Wolfsburg beat the champions in a penalty shoot-out, including an exceptionally cold-blooded penalty against World Goalkeeper of the Year, Manuel Neuer – taken by no other than Max Kruse.
created by mmc/dw
DFB.de regularly presents first-team players for whom an unusual week lies ahead. Today, ahead of the opening day of the Bundesliga: Max Kruse, who is to make his Bundesliga debut for VfL Wolfsburg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday (15:30 CEST).
On Monday, Max Kruse returned to the Millerntor Stadium, home of FC St. Pauli. The opportunity was most convenient for the 27-year-old, who had already carried out his day’s work two days before. The Germany international had the day off and so was free to watch some football and revisit the past – on two levels. After all, he used to be there all the time, in St. Pauli in Hamburg – only back then his view was not from the stands, but from the pitch. He played exactly 100 games for FC St. Pauli; Kruse is a Hamburg boy through and through, and he has remained forever in touch with his roots in the city not just through his son Lauro Maxim. Kruse returned to the stands this week, seeing lots of familiar faces and, as far as one could tell, enjoying his evening as a football spectator.
However on Saturday, he was the one providing footballing entertainment to others, namely the fans and staff members of VfL Wolfsburg. In their 4-1 win in the first round of the DFB Cup away at Stuttgarter Kickers, Kruse scored the opening goal; his first competitive goal for the current league runners-up and DFB Cup holders.
Allofs: Kruse "improves our quality going forward"
Kruse is considered the top summer signing among the VfL Wolfsburg faithful. With the addition of the striker, there are now hopes for even more flexibility. With Bas Dost, World-Cup winner André Schürrle and Niklas Bendtner, the attacking force of VfL is already a formidable outfit, and will be blessed with even more variety in the shape of Kruse. "We wanted a different type of striker from those already in our squad," explained manager Dieter Hecking at Kruse’s unveiling. "We don’t want to become too predictable."
The manager was and is convinced of Kruse’s quality, as is sporting director Klaus Allofs, who knows the 27-year-old from his days at Bremen and rates him highly. Allofs was always impressed by Kruse’s abilities, even back at Werder Bremen over six years ago. Today, the sporting director says: "He’s the type of player our squad has been missing, and he will improve our quality going forward even further." Kruse possesses a combination of skills that play a major role in football: his finishing ability and his ability to assist are of an almost equally high standard.
Statistics from the last three seasons reveal that in 2012/13 he achieved eleven goals and nine assists, and in the last two seasons, his tally of goals and assists reached double figures in both campaigns. Aside from these statistics, he possesses qualities that are no less important, but difficult to measure over the course of seasons. "We’ve signed a top professional, who has cool, silky skills at his disposal." says Allofs. "He brings a number of attributes with him that will improve us in the coming season."
"I’ve always made the right choices"
Welcome messages were in abundance, and after his first competitive game, the welcoming was followed by praise. In the first round of the DFB Cup Wolfsburg beat Stuttgart Kickers emphatically by four goals to one. Kruse played a major role in the victory, scoring one goal himself and impressively assisting a further two. Manager Hecking at least was pleased, and expressed his appreciation post-match: "I thought Max had a great game. He made major contributions to our important passages of play."
It has been a successful start to the season for the DFB Cup holders and Max Kruse. A lot is new for him now. However, change is no new experience for Kruse - in the last four years he has been with St. Pauli, Freiburg, Gladbach and Wolfsburg. He has never stayed with a club for more than two seasons. He either has a general tendency to change, or a sixth sense for when the time is right to take the next step. However, Kruse has never found himself lost along the way. While never staying at one club, he has always stayed on the right track. "I have always made the right choices in my life" – an indisputable claim.
His international career confirms this. Kruse got his first taste of first team experience during Die Mannschaft’s USA tour in 2013, and since the World Cup in Brazil 2014 he has become a regular fixture in Germany’s international outfit. 13 caps is the current statistic on his CV – the striker has scored three goals in those games, and was named man of the match by the Fan Club Nationalmannschaft on two occasions. Three years ago he was still in the second division, now an established member of the World-Cup winners... Not the worst path for your career to take.
"The family feel at St. Pauli was unbelievable"
The latest change in his career has brought him to Wolfsburg in Niedersachsen, to many people’s surprise. In Mönchengladbach, Kruse was part of an ever-improving club and a solid team. His development under manager Lucien Favre did not go unnoticed, and it was going well for Kruse at the Fohlenelf. Nevertheless, he is convinced that he has made the right decision to leave. "What impressed me were the talks with Klaus Allofs and Dieter Hecking. Gladbach had good prospects themselves, but Wolfsburg want to keep challenging at the top end of the table. VfL are one of the best clubs in Germany. I’ve always wanted to go to a club like this. When you get an offer like this, you don’t say no."
And when you don’t say "no", there aren’t many alternatives. So he said "yes", and here he is. That is, when he’s not spending his time in his hometown, just like on Monday at the cup game in the Millerntor. The result from Kruse’s perspective: without him, his former club lost 4-1, alternatively, without him his former club won 4-1. The Bundesliga side prevailed. As two of his former clubs went head-to-head, this is not the result that Kruse was hoping for – despite his close affiliations with Gladbach, the striker was crossing his fingers for St. Pauli. "I’m from Hamburg, so I’m far more emotionally attached to St. Pauli, although I obviously also had a great time with Gladbach. The clubs have similarities in their tradition, but for the time while I was at St. Pauli at least, the family feel was unbelievable."
Bundesliga debut for Wolfsburg against Frankfurt
Perhaps the 27-year old will one day say these things about VfL Wolfsburg. For the time being, he is just pleased to have got off to a successful start with the cup winners and league runners-up. After the cup, he turns to the next challenge of making his first Bundesliga appearance for Wolfsburg. The Wolves’ first opponent puts Kruse up against an old acquaintance of his. On Sunday (15:30 CEST), VfL play host to Frankfurter Eintracht, the club against which Kruse has played more than any other – eleven times to be exact. However, with three wins, three draws, and five defeats, his record against the team from Hessen is not particularly successful.
Nevertheless, Kruse has never lost against Frankfurt in a Wolfsburg shirt, and they hope to keep it that way on Sunday. After all, the Germany international has big aspirations with his new employers. "The team’s aspiration has to be to have another season like the last one," says Kruse, "and to be ready for when Bayern falter." In the Super Cup final a fortnight ago, this was exemplified well. Wolfsburg beat the champions in a penalty shoot-out, including an exceptionally cold-blooded penalty against World Goalkeeper of the Year, Manuel Neuer – taken by no other than Max Kruse.
