Ex-Premier League striker reveals health battle after painkillers destroyed kidneys

Updated: 23 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Ex-Premier League striker reveals health battle after painkillers destroyed kidneys

Photo: AFP

Former Premier League striker Ivan Klasnić has revealed that he could "die at any time" after claiming painkillers prescribed during his playing days caused irreversible kidney damage.

The 45-year-old, best remembered by English fans for his spell at Bolton Wanderers, enjoyed a career spanning 451 matches across Germany and England, turning out for Werder Bremen, Bolton, and St. Pauli.

But Klasnić's post-football life has been marked by an extraordinary health battle and a 12-year legal fight against Bremen, who he says are responsible for his life-threatening condition.

'Who Knows How Much Longer I Have Left'

Speaking in a German TV documentary, the Croatian forward opened up about his deteriorating health.

Who knows how much longer I have left to live. I have to be grateful that I am still alive, even though I am ill and need to take tablets.

Of course, I am furious. I would not want anybody to have to endure what I have been through.

Klasnić was diagnosed with kidney failure during his playing career, undergoing three kidney transplants - one of which took place after retirement.

Despite the surgeries, he continues to suffer serious complications.

The former Croatia international said that, had he been aware of the dangers, he would never have taken the painkillers prescribed to him at Bremen.

I don't think you can play any form of professional sport without using pain-relief drugs. But had I known that I had kidney problems, I would not have taken those medicines.

Legal Victory Came Too Late

In 2020, after years of court proceedings, Klasnic won a €4 million compensation case against Bremen.

Judges ruled that club doctors had failed to identify and act upon poor kidney values dating back to 2003, ultimately causing his organ failure.

However, the former striker insists no amount of money can reverse the damage done:

No matter how much money I've received in compensation, it won't bring my health back.

Klasnić remains the first professional footballer in history to play after receiving a kidney transplant, a testament to his resilience - but his prognosis remains uncertain.

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