Former Germany star Max Kruse reveals weight-loss injections, vows to manage yo-yo fat cycle

Max Kruse, 37, the former Germany forward known for his long Bundesliga career and a famed Nutella habit, has revealed that he is taking weight-loss injections again. The Wolfsburg-era star, who retired from professional football in 2023, began the fat-removal injections at the start of this year and says they helped him shed pounds.

Kruse said he reached a body fat percentage of about 33% last year, three to four times the typical level for a pro player, after letting his diet slip following retirement. He also spoke about his time on the German version of Celebrity Big Brother, which his wife Dilena had appeared on the season before, and recalled a winter training camp in Portugal when he was told to curb his sugar-heavy breakfast by his manager and sporting director.

Speaking on the Flatterball podcast, via Bild, Kruse said: "I stopped the injection six weeks ago and I've already gained seven kilos back! It's called the yo-yo effect. I'm now back to 94 kilograms. I've decided to start the injection again now. Stopping it wasn't so good."

At his peak, Kruse earned 14 Germany caps and built a Bundesliga career spanning more than a decade. Off-field moments occasionally drew headlines, including a 2016 episode in which he was reprimanded for his Nutella predilection and, in the same week, Wolfsburg fined him £20,000 for leaving about £60,000 of poker winnings in the back of a taxi after a World Series Poker Berlin event.

Earlier, a medical check had shifted his perspective on dieting. "I did an overall check on my fat percentage. My doctor said it was 33 per cent fat," he said. "I will no longer do my diet like the last six months when I peppered everything left and right. That was certainly a point that helped me gain 15 kilos."