Sc freiburg
Julian Schuster takes over as trainer from Christian Streich
Julian Schuster was already team captain of SC Freiburg and was previously the liaison coach between young talent and professionals
© Marijan Murat / DPA
Julian Schuster is the new coach at SC Freiburg. The Bundesliga club confirms what has been circulating as a rumor for days – and also gives reasons for this decision.
“In the past few weeks, we have intensively discussed several internal and external candidates to succeed Christian Streich. At the end of this process, we decided with great conviction to go the same route with Julian Schuster,” said sports director Jochen Saier. “His specialist knowledge, his personality and his extensive identification with the philosophy and values of SC Freiburg were key criteria for us.”
In mid-May, a success story that has lasted more than twelve years will come to an end for the Baden team with Streich’s farewell. On Monday, the 58-year-old announced that he would end his work with the 2022 DFB Cup finalists at the end of the season and make room for “new energy”.
Julian Schuster has been at SC Freiburg for a long time
Schuster is taking on responsibility after being increasingly introduced and involved in the work with the Bundesliga professionals in recent years. Officially he was employed as a liaison trainer between the young talent and the professionals. The former Freiburg midfielder and captain has no experience as a main coach. “For me, coaching at the sports club is both a matter of the heart and a challenge,” explained Schuster. “I am aware of the task and approach it with full conviction, but also with humility and respect.”
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The novice coach will take over an established Bundesliga club. After the sports club qualified for the Europa League twice in a row in the last two seasons and reached the round of 16, things are not going quite as well this season. In ninth place, the Breisgauers are in the middle of the table ahead of the remaining eight games.
Christian Streich has been a trainer since 2011
As a new assistant, Patrik Grolimund will strengthen the Freiburg coaching team. The 43-year-old will be deputy head of pro license training at the German Football Association until the end of June, the club said.
There has not been a change of coach at SC since the 2011/12 winter break. At that time, Streich was promoted from junior coach to head coach and became the successor to Marcus Sorg. In the fast-moving football business, the people of South Baden are an exception and represent continuity. Volker Finke shaped Freiburg between 1991 and 2007. Frank Schmidt, who has coached 1. FC Heidenheim since September 2007, has the longest tenure in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga.