Undav hits back at “nonsense” criticism

VfB Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav has admitted that the criticism he received during the 2024/25 season affected him.

Deniz Undav believes he has been unfairly criticised during the 2024/25 campaign with Stuttgart.

The 28-year-old struggled to replicate the form he showed in his impressive first season at the club, and the resulting online criticism took its toll on the striker.

“It’s important to me what people think of me – the fans, the teammates . and if everything is good there and I’m happy, I can be the best possible version of Deniz,” Undav told Süddeutsche Zeitung. 

“But when you keep hearing accusations like that, you start to doubt yourself.

“Suddenly, things that had never been an issue before were made out to be problems. ‘Undav doesn’t run, Undav isn’t fast enough’ – all of that. I wasn’t a different player during that time; I was just as fast, or not fast, as always. I didn’t run more or less than usual,” he continued.

“They said my body language wasn’t right, that I had given up. Honestly, that’s just nonsense. That accusation is ridiculous. And it kept escalating – suddenly, even eating a döner was a problem.”

Undav finished the season with 13 goals and six assists in 38 appearances for Stuttgart.