Freiburg coach Christian Streich’s farewell tour starts promisingly against Gladbach. The players also want to win for their outgoing coach – and have their sights set on reaching the European Cup again.
The start was promising. And the rest of the program should also give some SC Freiburg fans hope for a successful farewell tour for coach Christian Streich. With the exception of their upcoming opponents RB Leipzig, the Baden team will only face teams that are currently behind them in the Bundesliga table in the remaining games of the season. Will Streich possibly lead the SC into the European Cup for the third time in a row to mark the crowning conclusion of his era? After the 3-0 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach the chances have increased.
“It would be really nice if we could get a point or two in the last few games and finish it properly. That would be my greatest wish,” said the Breisgauer coach, who left in the summer, about the season finale. Streich will sit on the bench as SC head coach seven more times – then it’s over.
Players also want to win for pranks
The 58-year-old clearly enjoyed his first stadium appearance after his farewell announcement on Saturday. He hugged his players, laughed a lot, talked to old friends in the locker room and felt completely at ease. It was no different, he said after the surprisingly clear win in Mönchengladbach. But he has already become aware of how extreme the tension is and how much energy it all costs. His team made things a little easier with their strong performance at Borussia Park.
The players will work hard for Streich in the final stretch of the season. This was also promised by the Austrian Michael Gregoritsch, who, after his hat-trick in the international match against Turkey, also scored Freiburg’s opening goal against Borussia. “Now it’s about making these last few weeks as nice as possible for the coach. And we all know that the best way to do that is to win,” he said.
European Cup places in sight
The loss of points by immediate competitors has also increased Freiburg’s chances of another international starting place. “This gives us additional motivation for the next few weeks. We want to stick with the music,” said captain Christian Günter. Offensive man Merlin Röhl, who had scored the 2-0, said about a possible participation in the European Cup: “We still have a few games ahead of us, if we play them successfully, that will definitely be an issue.”
The three points from the first of his last eight games as SC coach could have been the start of a successful series for Streich until the end of the season. This was once done in Gladbach. Jupp Heynckes won all of the last ten games of the season in his first coaching position with Borussia. Streich can’t manage that many wins in the final spurt – but eight would certainly be enough for the European Cup.
Broadcast on Sunday, March 31, 2024, 10:05 p.m., SWR Sport, SWR
