Max Kruse, once a prominent striker for Germany’s national team, extended his playing career after declaring retirement from professional football in November 2023. The veteran forward stepped onto the field for Berlin’s Demssimspor in his fifth Bundesliga appearance since the announcement, with observers noting his frame during the match as seen in fan-recorded photos. At 36 years old, Kruse appeared on the pitch wearing the Demssimspor jersey, and ongoing fan footage sparked discussions about his fitness level as he entered the game.
Kruse’s last club affiliation in the professional ranks was with SC Paderborn, a team competing in the 2. Bundesliga. In the 2023/24 season, he featured in five league matches for Paderborn, contributing one assist in what marked the tail end of his formal club career.
Across an international span, Kruse earned 14 caps for the German national team, finding the back of the net four times. His contributions to the national side were part of a period in which Germany sought to rebuild its forward options on the world stage.
In a broader football context, the spring of 2022 brought a significant shift in European competition when FIFA and UEFA decided to suspend Russia’s national team and its clubs from all sanctioned events. Since that decision, Russian teams and players have primarily participated in non-regulated friendlies or regional contests, influencing the dynamics of European competitions and national-team selections in the years that followed.
In another note from European football leadership, CSKA Moscow president Evgeny Giner spoke about the intense atmosphere surrounding Moscow derbies, highlighting the emotional intensity and high stakes involved when the team faces Spartak Moscow.