Carmelo Policicchio, known as “Chico”, is known to everyone in Freiburg, from the cowl fan to the head coach. For decades, the Unikum ran a bar in the old Dreisamstadion and writes for the stadium magazine. In his second pint, “Swamp”, he welcomed a colorful mix of fans and bands like “The National” long before they made their international breakthrough. “Chico” moved with them, “from the old apartment with quirks to a new perfect world”: On Saturday, Freiburg inaugurated this world in the Bundesliga with a 1: 1 (0: 1) against RB Leipzig. And there is much to suggest that “Chico” will once again see great talent in Freiburg before they appear in larger European venues. They have names such as Sildillia, Schlotterbeck or Jeong – and these names should also be remembered slowly outside of Freiburg.
Against Leipzig, Freiburg could only be defeated by a penalty, they had their opponent on the verge of defeat in the second half and hit the post twice. The SC remains undefeated this season and fourth in the table. While the Saxons were particularly dangerous because of their individual class, Freiburg benefited from his bee industry in all parts of the team. “We had a lot of trouble in the second half,” said guest coach Jesse Marsch. Freiburg’s Christian Streich, on the other hand, spoke of an “outstanding performance in the second half”.
The 20,000 spectators (minus the few guest fans) in the sold-out stadium stood up during stoppage time and applauded the performance. However, the mood was dampened because of a tragic case: In the middle of the second half, a fan had to be reanimated and transported to the hospital on the south stand. The fans were piously silent, and the stadium control did not listen to music or loud announcements afterwards.
Yellow card for Freiburg’s chief whip
Until then, however, the SC had to do the balancing act between the new and the old world, between alternative and mainstream, noticeable. There was a song about the English scandal kicker Robin Friday, but the spokesman also animated stadium visitors to public tête-à-tête via “kiss cam”. The fans on the steep standing room sang particularly loudly about their “registered club”, but at the same time the rest of the grandstands had a hard time getting in.
A whip in front of the main stand had to be held back with difficulty in the first half. He waved his arms wildly, gestured and screamed towards the lawn. No stadium stewards had to intervene, but first SC goalkeeping coach Andreas Kronenberg, then the referee. The latter warned the angry with the yellow card: It was SC trainer prank. The people of Leipzig had too often tested the comfort of lying on the lawn laid for the game for his taste.
Referee Daniel Siebert (center) and Freiburg coach Christian Streich (right) had a need to speak after the game.
(Photo: Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters)
After an alleged foul on Yussuf Poulsen, he already called in the direction of Leipzig’s assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer: “He’s so big and just falls over. He’s bigger than you.” After Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku quickly went to the ground after a contact in the 31st minute and the referee pointed to the point, Streich’s outburst followed, for which he later apologized.
Emil Forsberg converted the penalty kick to 1-0 for Leipzig, which always radiated danger, especially through Nkunku. The offensive man can hardly be stopped with his tight ball control and his nimble movements, not even by his own team during the week. Then he escaped from the training ground on his own initiative. Marsch then took his protégé to prayer, but on Saturday he also had to watch his highly talented players evade his influence. After half-time they were pushed back more and more by the Freiburg team.
Freiburg is very close to victory in the second half
In the 64th minute Wooyeong Jeong headed a free-standing cross from Vincenzo Grifo into the corner to equalize. Until he was exhausted, Jeong had put his coach’s motto into practice, also to work “smartly and creatively against the ball” as an offensive player. So he started the defensive line, won balls on his own sixteen and could have scored in the first half.
Jeong is only 22 years old, the again very reliable Nico Schlotterbeck is only 21 and starting eleven and Bundesliga debutant Kiliann Sildillia is only 19. “I am very, very satisfied with him. He was as calm as if the whole thing were a friendly game,” praised Prank after that. The youngsters’ conviction is representative of Freiburg’s team, which in the end came very close to their first victory in the new stadium. Nicolas Höfler hit the post in the 89th minute.
“I’m disappointed, I thought your press conferences were more about politics,” says Marsch zu Streich
Shortly afterwards, Leipzig’s coach march demonstratively ordered his players backwards in order to secure the point. “It was an average performance, our standards are higher,” said the American after the game. He would not have had reason to be in a bad mood, because on Tuesday a certain Paris Saint-Germain is waiting for Leipzig in the Champions League. Marsch reported with a smile of defeats against Lionel Messi or Neymar as assistant coach of the USA: “So far I have not had a good story.”
In a similarly flippant manner he gave his coaching colleague Streich a message at the media round: “I’m disappointed, I thought your press conferences are more about politics.” He replied: “You have prepared yourself very well; the people in the room are laughing with you, with me they just look serious.” The mood after the 1: 1 was actually exactly the opposite: The Leipzigers as eighth in the table are currently serious, but the Freiburgers have a good laugh.
Carmelo “Chico” Policicchio wiped the counter happily after the first game in his new home, on that day he played Velvet Underground. “Chico” says: “The perfect new home has to take on a little patina first.” But this Freiburg team could stir up enough dust this season.