Max Kruse has once again taken aim at his favorite target, Niko Kovač. The former professional footballer also revealed a particular dinner with the current BVB coach during a DAZN interview.
«It’s working for Dortmund right now, but even there, you’ve often heard voices saying that the harmony isn’t necessarily the best, even if things are working well sportingly,» said Kruse.
Kruse, who played only five competitive matches under Kovač during his time at VfL Wolfsburg and has often spoken negatively about him, elaborated: «He doesn’t get along well with characters like me. He wants to be the alpha, and players who execute exactly what he dictates. Every person is different, everyone has different character traits, and everyone needs to be handled differently. If a coach doesn’t understand that, it’s usually difficult.»
The 38-year-old explained why he and the Croatian didn’t see eye to eye. «I knew Niko Kovač from his previous positions. I knew what kind of person he is, what he pays attention to, and what’s very, very important to him. And I realized relatively early on that this wouldn’t work,» said Kruse.
Therefore, the forward wanted to leave immediately after Kovač took over from Florian Kohfeldt: «I went back to VfL Wolfsburg at the time – primarily because of Florian Kohfeldt, and of course, because of the money, you can say that very clearly. But without Florian Kohfeldt, I wouldn’t have gone back at all. And then he was suddenly gone. That was the first sticking point. Then Niko Kovač came along, someone I couldn’t really identify with. It became clear to me relatively quickly: this wouldn’t work – one way or another.»
Kruse reveals dinner with Kovač
Kruse revealed that he met Kovač for dinner to set mutual expectations. «That’s why I signaled early on that it would be good to find a solution. The club initially dismissed it, with the answer: ‘Why don’t you talk to Niko Kovač first?'» he recounted.
Kruse continued: «We actually went out to eat once and exchanged ideas. It wasn’t bad at all, I have to say. We both talked about what we expected from each other. He asked me: ‘What do you need from me?’ And I said: ‘I don’t need anything from you. I just need trust. Give me trust, and you’ll get your performance.’ On the first matchday, I was on the bench – and with that, that trust was gone again immediately.»
Kruse explains commuting from Berlin to Wolfsburg
One issue that bothered Kovač was the fact that Kruse lived in Berlin at the time and commuted to Wolfsburg daily. «He naturally wanted me to get an apartment in Wolfsburg. I thought about it for a while, but I just didn’t have the energy for it anymore. I was also at a certain age, and my wife lived in Berlin,» said Kruse.
The 14-time international also admitted to dozing off a few times at VfL’s training ground due to the commute. He now says: «In my opinion, I managed it quite well, logistically too. But of course, then there were problems with the trains. I naturally didn’t want to be late for training. That’s why I always took an earlier connection and was sometimes at the training ground as early as eight o’clock.»
Kruse elaborated: «Anyone who knows my lifestyle knows that I sometimes didn’t get to bed until four or five in the morning, or sometimes didn’t sleep at all, and then had to take the train at six. Then I would sleep for an hour before training. In the end, it doesn’t matter: if you perform, if you deliver, then nobody can really complain.»
Kruse has often criticized Kovač
As mentioned, this is not the first time Kruse has attacked the 54-year-old. Even when it became known that Kovač would take over at BVB, Kruse couldn’t resist a jab: «He’s my favorite for Dortmund, so the club can really understand what a crisis actually means. The ‘peace, joy, egg cake’ will be over,» he explained on his podcast Flatterball, which he runs with Martin Harnik, and emphasized: «Anyone who wants to put themselves through that can do it. I highly doubt it will be crowned with success.»
In March 2024, Kruse described Kovač as an «absolute catastrophe» in terms of character and accused him of having an «anti-social» way of dealing with his players.