An infamous Bundesliga star has amazed fans with his new look after coming out of retirement.
Max Kruse, who was once fined by his club for sneaking off to play in a poker tournament, only retired from playing at the end of last year. But despite having plenty of interests away from football, including poker and car racing, the 36-year-old has returned to the pitch.
However, he looks rather different to the svelte figure who played for the likes of Werder Bremen, St Pauli, Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach and won 14 caps for his country. Kruse has signed for eighth-tier club BSV Al-Dersimspor and turned out for the Berlin-based side over the weekend in front of a healthy crowd, who saw the midfielder sporting a much chunkier figure compared to his heyday.
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SkySpeaking ahead of his Al-Dersimspor debut, Kruse said on his Flatterball podcast: “I’m starting sports again this week. Because on April 28 I have my first district league game. Yes, I’m playing the district league again."
He added: "I don’t know yet whether that’s good for my bones. I want to have a bit of fun. And doing sport on the side is also good for the body."
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Back in 2016, Kruse made headlines after being caught sneaking away from his club at the time, Wolfsburg, to play in a poker tournament in Berlin. It appeared to be a lucrative trip as he won £60,000, only to reportedly lose the cash in a taxi on the way home.
Kruse managed to keep the trip secret for several months, only for Wolfsburg to eventually get wind of the jaunt. He was fined £20,000 for his trouble.
At the same time, the German media learnt Kruse was suffering an additional – not to gambling, but to Nutella. He then took part in a club community project which involved him building a chicken coup.
