GERMANY
Grosskreutz: VfB Stuttgart sack ex-Dortmund defender after fight
Kevin Grosskreutz has had his contract terminated by Stuttgart after a late-night brawl that left the ex-Germany international in hospital.
Former Germany defender Kevin Grosskreutz has been sacked by VfB Stuttgart after a late-night brawl left him hospitalised earlier this week.
The 28-year-old drew the ire of the German second-tier club after reportedly taking three youth players with him on a night out that ended in a mass brawl.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund man hit the back of his head on the pavement during an altercation that resulted in the arrest of four suspects.
Grosskreutz: "I have made an error"
"I have made an error and I have apologised for that," an emotional Grosskreutz said in a hastily-arranged press conference.
"I accept the consequences and regret that my time at VfB has ended this way. I don't want anything to do with football for the time being."
Fall from grace for World Cup winner
The incident marks a spectacular fall from grace for Grosskreutz, who was an unused member of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning squad.
"Players from the first team have a particular function as role models for the club as a whole, but above all for our young players," said Stuttgart sporting director Jan Schindelmeiser.
Grosskreutz won the Bundesliga twice in a succesful six-year stint at Dortmund and also played in their 2013 Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich.