Christian Streich will go away SC Freiburg on the finish of the present Bundesliga season. The 58-year-old has been in command of the south-west German membership for the previous twelve years, making him the Bundesliga's second longest-serving coach behind Heidenheim's Frank Schmidt.
“It’s with a really heavy coronary heart that I can announce that I cannot be persevering with my job as coach of Freiburg,” Streich mentioned in a easy video posted on the membership's social media channel.
“After twelve years, it's the correct time to carry new power, new individuals, new alternatives. I imagine the gamers want this new power.”
“This membership is my life,” Streich mentioned.
Open slayer
Nobody has coached extra video games (481 as of March 18, 2024) or scored extra factors at Freiburg than Christian Streich. Regardless of their modest monetary means and the membership being one of many few skilled golf equipment to be totally managed by membership members, Streich led Freiburg to Europe 4 instances. He additionally helped them attain their first ever German Cup closing in 2021/22, dropping on penalties to RB Leipzig.
Along with his sporting achievements, Streich turned well-known for commenting on present occasions.
Three years in the past, the Freiburg coach criticized the Saudi Arabian Public Funding Fund and its involvement in Premier League membership Newcastle.
Most just lately, Streich known as on the membership's supporters to take part in Germany-wide protests towards the far proper.
“Soccer followers and coaches are residents. In the event you don't communicate up now, you didn't perceive something in historical past class in school,” he mentioned. “It's eleven o'clock.”
Along with being an advocate for girls in management positions within the firm, Streich was additionally a vocal issues with racism, youth training and cash in soccer.
A exceptional profession
As the primary workforce confronted tough instances on the finish of 2011, the membership didn’t must look far for its subsequent coach. Streich, who has been the membership's youth coach since 1995 and has made 230 appearances in command of the U19s, took over and helped backside aspect Freiburg to a mid-table end in his first yr in cost. A yr later he led Freiburg into the Europa League.
Like earlier coach Volker Finke, Streich stayed put even when issues weren’t going nicely. Regardless of relegation in 2015, Freiburg and Streich continued to work collectively, ensuing within the membership being promoted after only one season within the second division.
“You see that the soccer we play is a results of rising up on this metropolis and that it's not all about outcomes,” Streich advised native newspaper Südkurier after securing promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016.
Former Germany worldwide Matthias Ginter, who began his profession at Freiburg, mentioned the gamers would really like Streich to remain for one more 10 or 15 years.
“He lives this membership, he has skilled every part right here, he has developed the membership in recent times.”
Streich made Freiburg a serial Bundesliga winner, however he additionally turned the social conscience of the league. When he leaves on the finish of the season, it will likely be the tip of an period for the membership and the league.
It isn’t but clear who would be the new head coach of Freiburg, however there isn’t a denying that changing Christian Streich is an unimaginable job.
Edited by Jonathan Harding
