Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski Nearly Quit Football After Devastating Knee Injury
Dejan Kulusevski's Struggle with a Career-Threatening Injury
Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham Hotspur winger, has shared the harrowing experience of nearly retiring due to a serious knee injury that kept him out for the entire 2025-26 season. The Swedish international suffered a major setback after a collision with Marc Guehi in the last match of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign, which left his knee severely damaged.
The Injury and Its Impact
The injury involved a piece of cartilage detaching and moving inside Kulusevski's knee joint, a condition that medical experts could not fix surgically. This forced the former Juventus forward into a long, painful rehabilitation process lasting 526 days. Only recently has he managed brief returns to competitive play, appearing briefly against Coventry and Chelsea.
A Tough Admission
Talking to Tottenham’s official website, Kulusevski recounted the moment when the pain began during that final game. He described how the injury did not feel unbearably painful at first but noticed unusual movement in his knee.
"I remember the game, it felt like a good warm-up, then about 10 minutes in came the hit," he said. "It was painful but not the worst pain I’ve had. I could feel my knee moving too much. I broke my cartilage, and it flew to another part of the knee. They can’t fix cartilage, so the scan showed part of it was gone."
The physical damage soon turned into mental hardship. Kulusevski admitted he had a difficult conversation with his mother where he feared his playing days might be over.
"I told my mother, 'Listen, I don’t think this is going to work out.' I had to prepare her, 'I don’t think I can play anymore.'"
Missing Tottenham’s Historic Triumph
The injury meant Kulusevski missed Tottenham’s landmark victory in the 2025 Europa League final against Manchester United — a momentous occasion in Spurs’ recent history. The winger found it incredibly tough to witness the celebrations from the sidelines, especially as he was on crutches and unable to join the team on the podium.
"That was one of the hardest days in my life," Kulusevski said. "It was beautiful to see everyone happy, but very hard for me. I couldn’t even take my medal because it was slippery to stand on the podium. I had to stay behind in Barcelona since I couldn’t travel back with the team, so watching them celebrate on the bus was probably the hardest part. You feel so alone."
Looking Ahead Against Crystal Palace
Now back on the pitch, Kulusevski aims to regain full match fitness. Tottenham seek a third straight win as they prepare to face Crystal Palace, a fixture that could help the winger reestablish himself and move past the trauma of his injury.
Additional Notes
This story reflects the physical and emotional challenges athletes endure after serious injuries, highlighting Kulusevski's resilience and determination to return.
