"Not exactly harmonious": Is there trouble brewing at BVB?

FBL-GER-BUNDESLIGA-HOFFENHEIM-DORTMUND

Max Kruse has once again taken a dig at his favourite rival, Niko Kovac. Speaking on DAZN, the former professional also revealed that he had a special dinner with the current BVB manager.

"Things are going well for Dortmund right now, yet you've still heard whispers that all is not perfect off the pitch, despite the team's success on it," Kruse noted.

Kruse, who played just five competitive matches under Kovac during his time at VfL Wolfsburg and has already criticised him on several occasions, explained: "He doesn't get on well with people like me. He wants to be the alpha male and have players who do exactly what he tells them to. Everyone is different, and everyone needs to be managed differently. If a coach doesn't grasp that, things usually get tough."

The 38-year-old explained why he never gelled with the Croatian coach. "I knew Niko Kovac from his previous clubs. I knew what kind of person he is, what he looks for and what is very important to him. I realised relatively early on that it wasn't going to work," said Kruse. 

That is why the striker wanted to leave as soon as Kovac replaced Florian Kohfeldt: "I returned to VfL Wolfsburg mainly for Florian Kohfeldt, and of course the money played a role; that's no secret. Without Kohfeldt, I wouldn't have returned. When he left, that was the first turning point. Then Niko Kovac arrived—someone I couldn't identify with. It quickly became clear: this wasn't going to work."

kruse

Kruse reveals dinner with Kovac

Kruse revealed that he had initially met Kovac for a meal to discuss their mutual expectations. "That's why I indicated early on that it would be good to find a solution. The club initially dismissed the idea, replying: 'Why don't you have a chat with Niko Kovac first?'" he said.

"We actually went for a meal together once and had a chat. It wasn't bad at all, I must say. We both outlined what we expected from the other. He asked, 'What do you need from me?' I replied, 'I don't need anything. I just need your trust. Give me that and you'll get the performance you want.' Come matchday one, I was on the bench – and just like that, the trust was gone.'

Kruse explains his commute between Berlin and Wolfsburg

Kovac was irritated that Kruse, then living in Berlin, commuted to Wolfsburg every day. "Of course he wanted me to get a flat in Wolfsburg. I thought about it, but I just couldn't be bothered. I was getting on a bit, and my wife was in Berlin," the 14-time international explained.

The 14-time international even nodded off at the VfL training ground on occasion because of the grind. "Logistically, I handled it well," he now says. "But of course, the trains caused problems. I didn't want to be late, so I always caught an earlier train and often arrived at the facility by 8 a.m."

He adds, "Anyone who knows my lifestyle knows that sometimes I didn't get to bed until four or five in the morning, or sometimes didn't sleep at all, and then had to catch the train at six. So I'd just get an hour's sleep before training. But in the end, it doesn't really matter: if you deliver, if you perform, then no one can really complain."

Niko Kovac

Kruse has frequently taken swipes at Kovac.

As noted, this is not the first time Kruse has taken a swipe at the 54-year-old. When Kovac's appointment at BVB was announced, Kruse could not resist a dig: "He's my favourite choice for Dortmund, so the club can finally realise what a crisis really means. All that peace, joy and sunshine will be over," he explained on his podcast Flatterball, which he runs with Martin Harnik, adding: "Anyone who wants to put themselves through that can go ahead. But I very much doubt it will be a success."

In March 2024, Kruse described Kovac as an "absolute disaster" in terms of character and claimed he treated players in an "anti-social" way.