Max Kruse gives his verdict on Eberl, Kovac and Wagner

Max Kruse scored 97 Bundesliga goals in 307 games for six clubs. The 14-time German international retired from professional football in 2023 following a short spell in 2. Bundesliga with SC Paderborn. The 37-year-old sits down for an exclusive interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de to discuss several matters.

“I think there are always people who criticize FC Bayern,” said the once controversial striker as he defended his old boss at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Max Eberl. “If you see the first games, you have to say that Max Eberl did everything right.”

According to Kruse, Nick Woltemade “isn’t worth €70 million”. He also referred to the deals of Luiz Diaz and Nicolas Jackson as “two very good transfers”. He also predicted Bayern would not face strong competition, and Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig are on the same wavelength.

“I didn’t expect Niko Kovac to stay at BVB for so long,” said the striker who didn’t have good memories from his time with the current Dortmund boss in Wolfsburg. “He’s bringing a lot of calm to the club. With his way of paying attention to discipline, he is in the right place at BVB. If you look purely at the work, you have to say ‘Chapeau!’”

He’s not ready to say “hats off” to Sandro Wagner yet, though. Augsburg’s new coach lost three games in a row after a 3-1 win in his managerial debut in Freiburg.  “We know what it’s like with guys who publicly express their opinion,” said Kruse about Wagner.

“They will always be celebrated as long as things go well. But, once it goes negative for two or three games, everyone will quickly and gladly turn on them. However, he has the potential to become a good coach.”