VfL Wolfsburg at Union Berlin: The long shadow of Max Kruse NDR.de – Sports
Status: 09/16/2022 1:56 p.m
Despite his banishment from the squad of Bundesliga soccer club VfL Wolfsburg, Max Kruse is still an omnipresent topic. On Sunday of all days, the “Wolves” have to play at his ex-club Union Berlin.
Coach Niko Kovac does not see the preparation for the difficult away game at the front runner from Berlin influenced by Max Kruse’s personality. “I couldn’t find anything negative at all this week,” said Kovac on Friday at the press conference before the demanding duel at the Alte Försterei (live from 3:30 p.m. in the NDR Livecenter).
Kovac keeps a low profile on the ongoing issue of Kruse
Kovac was tight-lipped but forgiving about Kruse, who had only done goal-shooting exercises with the substitute keeper this week on Tuesday: “There is nothing negative to report about Max Kruse as a person. Everything was good so there’s nothing to say about that.”
Kovac had informed Kruse before the 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt that he would no longer play a game for VfL. However, the 34-year-old is still training with the team because a transfer to another club is currently difficult and talks about terminating the contract are still pending.
In a first reaction to this decision, Kruse defiantly noted in the Instagram video: “I decide for myself when my time in the Bundesliga is over. Nobody else decides that for me.”
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Kovac made it clear again on Friday that only Kruse’s Bundesliga time in Wolfsburg was over for him. “I’m certainly not the one who can decide that for other clubs. But I helped decide that for this club,” he said.
Reach your next success in sport
After the first win of the season last week at Eintracht Frankfurt (1: 0) the “wolves” want to add to Union. “It would be damn important if we could get something in Berlin. We are table-16. and play for the first team – but we want to take something with us there,” said Kovac.
Nmecha probably fit, Wimmer on home leave
The staff of the previous week is available to him for this – and thus in all likelihood also the recently injured Lukas Nmecha. The Lower Saxony will miss against Patrick Wimmer. According to Kovac, the defender is on home leave to settle unspecified private matters. He will join the team again from the middle of next week.
Praise for the work of Union Berlin
Despite the gap in performance between the league and international competition, Kovac paid tribute to Union coach Urs Fischer’s team: “The rhythm of playing every third day is not easy. I saw the game yesterday. The intensity that this team drives , is unique. It’s up and down for 90 minutes. They are present in every duel. Whoever is first after six matchdays has definitely done a lot of things right.”
He already believes “that Union will also be very high in the end,” said Kovac. “But I don’t think Union will be convinced that Bayern will be dethroned. Of course everyone would like someone else to become champion – why not Union? But the wish is one thing and we have to be a bit realistic stay. If someone can do it, it’s probably more likely to be another team.”
Union reunion with Kruse burst
The Köpenickers, who also lost their second game in the Europa League 0-1 on Thursday, would have been happy to see Kruse again. “He would certainly have wished to play at the Alte Försterei again, so it’s a pity for him and a bit for us too,” said his former team-mate Rani Khedira recently when Reinbeker was eliminated.
Possible lineups:
Berlin: Rönnow – Doekhi, Knoche, Diogo Leite – Trimmel, Khedira, Ryerson – Thorsby, Haberer – Siebatcheu, Becker
Wolfsburg: Casteels – Baku, Lacroix, van de Ven, Paulo Otavio – Arnold, Franjic – Svanberg, Brekalo – Nmecha, Waldschmidt
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