Beeck’s newcomer Maurice Pluntke
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The left knee was not enough for a professional career
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Maurice Pluntke has been playing for FC Wegberg-Beeck since this season.
Photo: Schnieders/Michael Schnieders
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Football Middle Rhine League Maurice Pluntke spent almost three years in rehab during his career. The 28-year-old from Mönchengladbach is at peace with himself and has now started a job in his hometown. With the FC, the newcomer would like to rise.
Maurice Pluntke was never as close to a professional career as he was on May 8, 2015. He made his second division debut in a Fortuna Düsseldorf jersey in a 2-0 defeat against VfR Aalen. “Despite the defeat, a big dream came true for me,” says the 28-year-old, who was promoted to the second division team from Fortuna-Zwoten.
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It was to remain Pluntke’s only game in the senior professional league. Until recently, being a footballer was his job, but it was one floor below – in various regional leagues. A number of injuries stood in the way of a bigger career in the professional field, especially on his neuralgic left knee. “I spent a total of almost three years in rehab,” says the Mönchengladbach native.
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In 2015 Pluntke played his only professional game for Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2nd Bundesliga. Photo: Falk Janning; background-size: contain; object-fit: contain)
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Foto: Falk Janning
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A whole new phase of his life is beginning in Beeck, because football is no longer the sole focus. On August 1st, Pluntke, who had acquired his bachelor’s degree in business administration via distance learning in March, took up a job at the Mönchengladbach waste, green and road companies (Mags) – in human resources management. “That was also one of my focal points during my studies,” says Pluntke.
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Of course, he had aimed for a completely different career start – with the fire department. In April he started training for the higher service in the fire brigade in Krefeld – but his left knee didn’t play along there either. “That quickly became noticeable during the exercises with 20 kilograms of equipment. That simply wouldn’t have worked in the long run.”
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Pluntke’s story of suffering began in his youth, which he went through completely at Borussia Mönchengladbach after starting at SC Rheindahlen – he had switched to Borussia at the age of eight. He almost completely missed the first A youth year due to a tendinitis, but then fought back. “I was captain again in my second year as a youth,” says Pluntke, who was also a U-national player in all years up to this injury.
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A hernia and a protracted pubic infection made him miss most of his first senior year in Gladbach’s U23s. The move to Düsseldorf followed. A new coach arrived there in the summer of 2015 – from then on Pluntke no longer played a role with the professionals. In January 2016, he canceled the contract and went to the USA to play soccer – with the Orange County Blues FC in the Californian university town of Irvine, which at the time was playing in the 2nd division. “That was the greatest year of my life, I experienced a lot. For a 22-year-old, it was all very exciting. We had to fly to every away game because of the long distances, and in terms of sport we made it to the semi-final playoffs.”
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Because the future was uncertain after a year there, Pluntke returned to Germany in January 2017 – and was hired by the west regional league team Alemannia Aachen. “I spent a very nice year and a half under coach Fuat Kilic, and I look back on that time very fondly.” Far less happy, at least in the second year, was the time at the Northeast regional league club FSV Wacker Nordhausen. In autumn 2019, the Thuringians had to file for bankruptcy, after four months without a salary, Pluntke was released for the Southwest regional league team Kickers Offenbach. He started there in January 2020. Already on the third day of training he injured himself more severely than ever before: torn cruciate ligament, torn lateral ligament and fourth-degree cartilage damage. “The prognosis was that I would be out for eight months.” However, it was a lot longer. “The knee continued to hurt, so nine months later I had another operation. During that time, I also realized that I could no longer play football full-time with this knee.”
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Which of course was not easy for him: “At 26 I was in the best footballer age. But I could only train with painkillers, so the only thought I had was to somehow get through the training,” says Pluntke. There was even a threat of sports disability.
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His family supported him during this time – and the support from the club was also good. “But I also did a lot with myself. That’s how I am.” He was now completely at peace with himself. “I’ve achieved a lot, but my body didn’t cooperate for more. My change of club was often not a conscious career move. Sometimes it was an insolvency of a club, sometimes a serious injury. My body is simply not the most predestined for professional football.” In the summer of 2021, Pluntke switched to the Lower Rhine Oberliga club 1. FC Bocholt. “During the season there was only training three times a week – my knee can still do that.” In the end there was promotion. “Nevertheless, I canceled my contract there with a view to starting my career,” he says – and just hired in Beeck. “I can combine football and work well there. And from Mönchengladbach it is only a short hop to the Waldstadion.”
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Beeck would have tried very hard for him last winter. “I immediately had great conversations with coach Mark Zeh, sporting director Friedel Henßen and main sponsor Werner Tellers. That’s also why the decision was easy for me.” That’s why he signed for two years. At FC he is planned as a leading player – as the central man in the back three, with which Beeck will now play mainly. “I also like this role,” affirms Pluntke – and characterizes his game as follows: “I love solving things in a playful way, but I can also intervene properly.” In Beeck he is looking forward to a dominant team: “Many should be like that Games go on.” Communication on the pitch is also very important to him: “I talk a lot there.” That’s exactly what is asked of him. “We got Maurice as a leading player,” declare Zeh and Henßen in unison.
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Pluntke immediately felt at home in Beeck. “They’re a strong squad in terms of football and personality.” And he knows some of the other players from earlier positions. “Marc Kleefisch and Dogukan Türkmen were among the young wild ones who were allowed to train with the Alemannia-Erste, and I know Maurice Passage and Justin Hoffmanns from my long time at Borussia.” There was also a special reason why there was never any contact with Borussia demolished: “My father René Pluntke has been the coach of Borussia’s U23s for many years – so I still get a lot out of it.”
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With Beeck he would now like to make it back to the regional league. “I celebrated promotion to the regional league with Bocholt, and I would like to experience that again with Beeck. But it’s a very long way to get there, the competition is tough.” And is he sure that his left knee will hold up? “Yes, the load here in Beeck can withstand it,” he assures.
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