Several thousand fans gave the SC Freiburg team a great welcome after returning from the narrowly lost DFB Cup final. Coach Christian Streich’s team had previously signed the city’s golden book.
Accompanied by the cheers of several thousand fans, the team from cup finalists SC Freiburg entered the stage at 8:18 p.m. on the square of the Old Synagogue in front of the Stadttheater in Freiburg. Despite the narrow defeat on Saturday evening in Berlin against RB Leipzig (2:4 on penalties) the enthusiasm and pride about the great performance of the season (Europa League participation and cup final) of the team prevailed.
Visibly moved, coach Christian Streich (56) listened to the chants of the fans. He thanked the fans and the whole club for the great support during his more than ten years as head coach. Streich: “In other clubs I would have to talk to ten members of the supervisory board before I could talk to a player. And three of them would be offended.” Everything is so pleasantly different in Freiburg. Despite the double burden (Europa League and Bundesliga), the thought of the coming season does not give him sleepless nights: “I hardly dare to say it, but I have no worries.”
Farewell to players and goalkeeping coaches
Sports director Jochen Saier then said goodbye to two players and a member of the coaching staff. National player Nico Schlotterbeck is moving to Borussia Dortmund for the new season, Janik Haberer is moving to Union Berlin after six years at the sports club on a free transfer, and goalkeeping coach Andreas Kronenberg is leaving the club for the German Football Association.
The team returned from Berlin in the late afternoon. At around 5:30 p.m., two propeller planes with their crew and staff landed at Freiburg airfield. Trainer Christian Streich was one of the first to leave the plane. After the players had stowed their bags in the team bus that drove up, the coach went to the 50 or so SC fans who were waiting behind the nearby fence.
Streich kept hearing “super performance” and “a shame” while shaking hands with many fans. The coach thanked him and even had some tears in his eyes. Then he went to the team. Together they applauded the fans, before the coach cheerfully called out to the fans: “Can’t you sing…SC Freiburg?” The followers immediately tried it and intoned the fan song. Then it was off for the pros in two buses to the reception and fan festival in downtown Freiburg.
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