Kramaric reveals Bayern regret ahead of 10-year Hoffenheim anniversary

Andrej Kramaric has regrets over turning down the chance to join Bayern Munich, though he knows he would have had fewer opportunities to start had he left Hoffenheim.

Kramaric is approaching the 10th anniversary of his move to Hoffenheim, having initially joined the Bundesliga club on loan from Leicester City on January 20, 2016.

He then made his stay permanent at the end of 2015-16 – the season in which Leicester won the Premier League title – and has gone on to become a cult hero.

Kramaric has played 342 games for Hoffenheim overall and ranks second in their all-time appearance list, only behind current captain and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (420).

The Croatian made his 300th Bundesliga appearance for Hoffenheim prior to the winter break, with Baumann (321), Julian Brandt (314), Maximilian Arnold (310) and Lukas Hradecky (304) the only players to amass more in the competition since his Hoffenheim debut.

Kramaric has scored 129 goals in the German top flight, with Robert Lewandowski (204) the only player to net more since his arrival at Hoffenheim.

No other player can boast a century of Bundesliga goals in the last decade, with Serge Gnabry third on 95.

But things could have turned out very differently as Kramaric almost ended up as Lewandowski’s team-mate, having been linked with Bayern in both 2018 and 2020.

Asked if he missed any opportunities for a big move during his career, Kramaric said in an interview with Kicker: “I can say it openly; Bayern Munich.

“In hindsight, it’s the only club I think I should have joined. But we’ll never know how things would have turned out.

“That was during the time of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and all the others; it was clear I wouldn’t have played as much as I did here.

“Financially, I would definitely have been better off. That’s the only thing I might regret; everything else didn’t particularly appeal to me. That’s why I’m still here.”

Hoffenheim’s scheduled game against Werder Bremen last weekend was called off due to heavy snowfall, so their first match of 2026 will pit them against Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday.