Freiburg have announced that long-term manager Christian Streich will leave the club at the end of the season. Streich will spend more time with his family and to travel.
Streich has held either a playing or managerial role at the club for a total of 30 years having spent a year as a player before spending times as the under-19 manager, assistant manager and then head coach when he was appointed in 2011.
On his decision to leave, Streich said: “I have thought for a long time and had many conversations, but I think after 29 years now is the right time to give space for new energies, new people and new opportunities. It was already very important to me in the past that I do not miss the time when I think it is right to go,” says Christian Streich. “I had hundreds of extraordinary experiences in my time at the sports club. This club is my life and I am grateful for the great affection and support I have experienced here. I am looking forward to the future for this club and I know that very good decisions are made, that it will continue here as it has continued in recent years and decades – always forward and head up, even if it was once difficult.”
#Streich (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ZNbqW98X1V
— SC Freiburg (@scfreiburg) March 18, 2024
During Streich’s time in charge of Freiburg, he has led the team through thick and thin, first into a European spot in 2013 before relegation to the 2.Bundesliga in 2015. The club then became more and more stable before consistently challenging for the Europa League spot over the past few seasons.
One of Striech’s finest achievements though was leading the club to a DFB-Pokal final in 2022 where they only came up short on penalties to RB Leipzig.
The Blackforest side have been in this position before when they had to replace Volker Finke in 2007, who had managed the club since 1991.
Freiburg will now take their time in announcing a replacement for Streich. Bild have previously reported that the solution will likely be internal with Under-23 coach Thomas Stamm or Julian Schuster as the replacement. While St Pauli’s Fabian Hürzeler, Paderborn’s Lukas Kwasniok and former Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer are also candidates.
In a world where managers are easily discarded after a handful of seasons, Freiburg and Streich personified loyalty throughout his time in charge and whoever does replace Streich will face a big challenge.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
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