Reservations because of cancer: Kreuzer's difficult club search

In his search for a new club, professional footballer Niklas Kreuzer has noticed reservations due to his cancer. "It was the main topic in every conversation with every club. Are you still able to play? Are you still able to play competitive sport? And will you be your old self again?" said the 31-year-old on "Schwarz-Gelb, der Dynamo-Podcast" for the "Sächsische Zeitung" newspaper.

Fried sausage instead of fillet of beef

Kreuzer was diagnosed with testicular cancer in mid-August 2023. The defensive player overcame the disease and celebrated his comeback at the end of January at the then third-division club Hallescher FC. After being relegated to the Regionalliga, Kreuzer was without a club, received many rejections and only signed with SV Sandhausen on August 29.

Kreuzer had already suspected that the search for a new employer would be difficult. "I knew from the start that I wasn't the fillet of beef that everyone was fighting over. I was such a cheap sausage," said the son of former Bayern professional Oliver Kreuzer. "At some point I couldn't listen to it anymore, this mistrust in my physical abilities."

Now he has regained his full fitness, even if it has been a long road after the serious illness. "I was still bald in March. It wasn't a small virus, it limited me," said Kreuzer. He had offered clubs to do performance tests and blood tests to prove his fitness.

Motivation through rejections

He used the many rejections from clubs who, according to Kreuzer, still wanted to sign him before the illness as motivation. "Those were points that showed me that I wanted to show them. They were little injections of motivation," said the long-time Dynamo Dresden professional. Kreuzer also ended up in Sandhausen because Sreto Ristic, who was previously in Halle, is the coach there. Kreuzer has a contract with SVS until the end of June 2025.