Unorthodox Decision: Cottbus Boots Krauß Over Rostock Deal
Rostock's agreement has led Cottbus to temporarily halt a player's involvement. - Suspended Player from Cottbus
In a surprising move, Energie Cottbus has axed player Maximilian Krauß ahead of their clash with Hansa Rostock. The reason? Krauß inked a deal with Rostock just five days before the East derby, a fight for promotion.
Cottbus coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz has thrown Krauß out until the season's end, citing the abrupt agreement with Rostock as the main culprit behind his recent subpar performances. "I find Monday's timing disrespectful towards Cottbus and disrespectful towards the teammates," Wollitz said, explaining his decision.
Krauß (28) admitted signing the contract with Rostock but revealed he agreed with them weeks ago. Wollitz, however, took issue with the communication's handling.
Both Cottbus and Rostock are mathematically in the race for promotion. While Rostock holds fourth spot with 60 points, Cottbus lingers in fifth with 59 points. Winning this Saturday's match is likely to keep them in the promotion race. If Cottbus finishes fifth, they'll not only miss out on promotion but also the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
Controversy over Krauß's intended absence?
Krauß joined Cottbus in February 2021 and played a vital role this season, scoring eight goals and keeping Cottbus in the direct promotion spot for quite a span. Wollitz noticed a drop in Krauß's performance post the 24th matchday and suspects a shift to Hansa Rostock around that time.
Wollitz alleges that Krauß intentionally picked up his fifth yellow card on the 24th matchday. "Because his mother's birthday was supposed to fall over the weekend when we played in Stuttgart."
Wollitz points to performance data, like the video analysis of Haching, to justify his stance: "If someone runs between 34 and 35 km/h, but it's proven to be only 29 km/h... that's all part of it."
- Cottbus
- Rostock
- Hansa Rostock
- Energie Cottbus
- Suspension
- Promotion spot
- Mother
- Employer
Enrichment Data Summary:
- Some sources suggest Wollitz's public comments on Krauß's suspension were criticized for being inappropriate and unprofessional [1].
- A Lausitzer Rundschau podcast discussed the significance of Krauß's suspension for Cottbus, hinting at a connection to the Ostderby against Hansa Rostock [2].
- No credible information or reports support the claim that the suspension's timing was intentionally scheduled to coincide with Krauß's mother's birthday.
- The decision by Energie Cottbus to suspend Maximilian Krauß, just before the clash with Hansa Rostock, has been met with controversy, given Krauß's significant contributions to the team's promotion spot.
- Coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz of Energie Cottbus alleged that Krauß intentionally received a yellow card on the 24th matchday, which led to his suspension, hinting at a connection to the upcoming derby against Hansa Rostock.
- Both Cottbus and Hansa Rostock are in the running for promotion in European leagues, with Rostock currently holding the fourth spot and Cottbus lingering fifth.
- Despite the suspension, Krauß has admitted to signing a deal with Hansa Rostock weeks ago, but has not confirmed whether the timing was intentionally coordinated with the derby match.
