Klopp and BVB go away empty-handed: Freiburg lands a coup with top talent

Klopp and BVB go away empty-handed
Freiburg lands a coup with top talent

By Stephan Uersfeld

After twelve match days, SC Freiburg is in third place in the Bundesliga. Also thanks to excellent squad planning. The makers prove that again. According to ntv.de information, they bind U21 national player Kevin Schade in the long term. It is already in the notebook of Hansi Flick and a number of top clubs.

It’s running at SC Freiburg. Third place in the Bundesliga, with modest financial means. A new, self-financed arena, despite the tearful departure from the old Dreisamstadion, an important building block for sustainable success, a coach who makes the name of the club known far beyond the national borders and a talent factory that produces new talent year after year. Like the current U21 national player Kevin Schade, who, according to ntv.de information, can now tie the Breisgau residents into the second half of the decade.

The 19-year-old Schade is a symbol of the successful Freiburg personnel policy in recent years. The current Bundesliga position and also the quiet pre-season, which the Breisgauers finished in tenth place, are the result of the cooperation of an exceptional coach and excellent squad planning. Coach Christian Streich has been responsible for the Bundesliga sporting fortunes of the club for ten years now. The 56-year-old went through ups and downs with his heart club, such as relegation in 2015.

Hardly any departures in summer

Streich, who is so much more than a coach whose words on social issues always hit a nerve, has a strong squad this season. “We lost almost no one this summer and we have brought in a lot of youngsters. We have improved the quality extremely, in the last few years. This year it seems to be an extra step,” said captain Christian Günter at the beginning of November. And in fact, after the departure of Luca Waldschmidt, Robin Koch and keeper Alexander Schwolow in summer 2020, Freiburg only has to replace Baptiste Santamaria and goalkeeper Florian Müller this season. For Müller, the long-injured Mark Flekken moved between the posts. The other day he even earned a call to the Dutch national team. Santamaria, who moved to Stade Rennes for 14 million euros, was replaced by Maximilian Eggestein from relegated Werder Bremen. Only five million euros went into the former master’s tight coffers.

The squad was additionally strengthened by the returnee Nico Schlotterbeck, who has risen to the position of defense chief, and by youngsters such as Noah Weißhaupt or Kevin Schade, who established himself as a valuable alternative in a very short time and is about to join the team. The lightning-fast striker, so can be heard from his environment, feels right at home in the Breisgau biotope. The 19-year-old from Potsdam is one of the discoveries of the Bundesliga season. The striker, trained at Energie Cottbus, recently made his debut in the U21 national team. The future is wide open to him. “He’s fast, with a good header and a dangerous goal,” said Hansi Flick’s assistant coach Hermann Gerland about the player, whom some observers see on a par with Salzburg’s Karim Adeymi.

One of the fastest players in the league

Fast, powerful and dangerous for goals. Schade has already demonstrated his speed in the Bundesliga. With a measured 36.37 km / h, he is currently the second fastest player in the German elite league, just behind Jeremiah St. Juste from Mainz, but ahead of Bayern’s Alphonso Davies or BVB superstar Erling Haaland, who played the Freiburg youngster directly with him Debut could be seen in action in late August. Back then, on his debut, he mainly annoyed defender Manuel Akanji with his strong runs. Goals, on the other hand, are still in short supply in the Bundesliga. In ten competitive matches, he has so far not wanted to score a goal. Quite different with the U21s. There the jumping player scored three times in four games, there he was able to prove his headball strength.

“Kevin is a very great talent, capable of learning. Kevin is fun for us, he is an interesting player with great skills,” says Gerland of Schade, who with his four U21 internationals so far has also made his way into the notebooks of major English clubs such as Liverpool and also should have played numerous Bundesliga clubs. Freiburg coach Streich says: “He’s fast, can jump high and kick well. He’s also self-confident and isn’t afraid. We’ll take a close look at him and continue to work with him meticulously. He was a bit jittery in some situations, what but at that age is normal. ”

Streich will now have time for meticulous work for the next five years. Another characteristic of the Freiburg people. Not only the coach, but also the players are among the most loyal in the league. Four years and eight months are those that were used this season on average in the club. Schade, who came from Cottbus in 2018, is still a little below that. Soon he will have reached the mark. And at some point it will also work with the goals.

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