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Nobody wants to be world champion! “The feeling really hurt”

Christoph Kramer(Bild: GEPA)

Christoph Kramer, the 2014 world champion, had imagined things differently. After leaving Mönchengladbach, he revealed that the search for a new club proved difficult. "It really hurt me to have the feeling that I was no longer really wanted as a player," he said on the soccer podcast "Copa TS".

The 33-year-old played 271 times in the Bundesliga, 12 times for the German national team, plus numerous cup appearances - and yet Kramer is still without a club. No club wanted to sign him this summer - not even without a salary.

It really hurt me to have the feeling that I was no longer really wanted as a player.

Christoph Kramer über seine erfolglose Klubsuche im Sommer

No interest in signing Kramer
"This over-30s market is somehow not really there. And I also misjudged it. I thought that if I came onto the open market, everyone would say: Please come to me. That wasn't the case at all," reported Kramer. The midfielder had even put his cell phone on speaker and waited for calls. "I've already proactively approached one club or another and said: Hey, aren't you interested? I don't need any more money either. I'm just up for the whole thing."

But it wasn't the case that he couldn't save himself from offers. "And even the ones where I proactively offered myself and said, ey, watch out, I'm playing here for nuts, in the end they also said: nope."

Kramer continued: "It really hurt me to have this feeling that I wasn't really wanted as a player anymore. In other areas, everyone wanted me, what I usually do, but in this area, I would call it manageable."

The 33-year-old had terminated his contract with Mönchengladbach in August. "The journey with Borussia was incredible and unique. Unfortunately, it has now come to an end, but I'm also looking forward to what lies ahead," he said tearfully at the time.

Since 2018, he has been a TV pundit for ZDF and Prime Video for international matches and the Champions League. He will probably (have to) continue to do this job ...