Overview

• Ivan Klasnic, 45, tells an ARD documentary he remains on daily dialysis after three kidney transplants and says he does not know how long he will live.
• He attributes his kidney failure to the systematic use of painkillers during his playing career and says elite sport relies on such medication.
• He states he would not have taken the drugs had he known about kidney problems that later emerged.
• A court ruling in 2020 awarded €4.5 million in damages plus more than €100,000 tied to the negligence of two Werder Bremen club doctors after a roughly 12-year case.
• The tribunal found the club failed to identify and treat altered renal values from May 2003, a lapse cited as the basis for liability.