Christian Streich is SC Freiburg through and through. The longest-serving coach in the Bundesliga first joined Freiburg as a player in 1987. Though he only played one season for the side, it began a love affair that would last twenty-eight years.
As a player, Streich, like many great managers, was a midfielder. Representing Freiburger FC for most of his playing career, the German tallied 133 appearances and thirty-five goals—a healthy return for a midfielder.
Across all clubs, Streich managed 209 appearances and forty goals before a broken metatarsal ended his career in 1995. Though unfortunate, the incident led to Streich taking charge of SC Freiburg's under-19 side, and the young coach would never look back—a definite silver lining.
After sixteen years in charge of the U19s and a four-year stint as senior assistant manager, Streich took the lead of SC Freiburg's first team in 2011. The German side has never finished above third place and hasn't done so since 1994/95.
The early noughties was littered with second-division seasons for Freiburg, though Streich's arrival has put a consistent end to relegations and saw the side climb to fifth place in the first division last season. So, how has Streich done it?
Playing Style
While Streich has been known to utilise a three-at-the-back system, Freiburg's current setup is built around a 4-2-3-1. Creating an attacking diamond supported by a double pivot in midfield allows the German side to commit to attacking phases without being overly exposed in the transition.
Vincenzo Grifo and Michael Gregoritsch have been focal points of the attack, netting seventeen and fifteen goals, respectively. Grifo plays off the left flank, while Gregoritsch can operate wide or centrally. Agile but standing 6 foot 4 inches, makes the Austrian attacker a handful for any backline.
Defensively, Matthias Ginter remains integral to the system and organisation of the backline. The twenty-nine-year-old returned to his boyhood club last year and contributed five goals last season - not a bad return. Alongside Ginter, Austrian Philipp Lienhart has been a mainstay. Formerly, the twenty-six-year-old played with Martin Odegaard for Real Madrid Castilla, though he failed to break into the starting eleven.
Culture
SC Freiburg has found great success in longevity, trust, and a measured mix of youth and experience. The tenure of Christian Streich is evidence of this and sets the tone throughout the club, but it is not the only example. Many of the higher management within the club have been in place for twenty-plus years allowing for rational joined-up thinking. The story of Streich and Freiburg's climb up the German pyramid is tremendous and should act as a lesson to others in the sport.