owlsbooks Chapter 142 Freiburg
Chapter 142 Freiburg
Chapter 142 Freiburg
After winning Hertha Berlin, Hoffenheim began to prepare for the away game and went to the southwestern border of Germany, close to the newly promoted club Freiburg in France and Switzerland. Freiburg is a municipality directly under the central government of Baden-Württemberg in Germany and the capital of the Freiburg administrative region. It is located in the westernmost part of the southern Black Forest and has a population of about 20.
Although the population of Freiburg is less than 20, the support of football is very high. Freiburg is not one of the earliest German clubs, let alone have no achievements. Since the establishment of the Bundesliga in 1963, Freiburg has been in the low-group league.The best results of the team are the Bundesliga champions in 1993 and 2003, but they have a record that they are proud of in the Bundesliga, that is, the longest head coach holder in the history of German professional football. The former head coach of the team is also the meritorious coach Volker Walker.
The strength of Freiburg is due to the club's financial capacity and the limited number of fans in the area. The results have not been good. The team's lineup is naturally not too bright. Freiburg keeps hovering between the upper middle and upper reaches of the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga. However, the club and its fans seem to be completely satisfied. Being able to stop and relax at any time to appreciate the fairytale-like stretch of natural scenery may be a factor, but it is not the only reason.
In addition, Freiburg also has a very fairytale stadium, the Black Forest Stadium. Compared with most stadiums, Freiburg's Black Forest Stadium has more fascinating natural scenery.Behind the austere North Stand, the rolling hills of the Black Forest glisten with winter snow, or radiate the scorching temperatures of southern Germany.On game days, the fumes from the sausage stands outside the stadium can hardly mask the fresh smell of fir trees and the wafting fresh air of this elegant, vibrant academic city.
However, the facilities in the Black Forest have become old, and the club plans to move their home stadium to a new stadium in the northwest of the city in 2020.The stadium can accommodate an additional 10000 people, but the maximum capacity is still less than 35000.The cost of this plan is only 7000 million euros, showing that the club has moderate ambition and rational use of resources.Freiburg has reserved another 12000 standing seats in the new stadium, which seems to have full support from the locals and fans.
Freiburg fans can be said to be the most fairy-tale-like fans in Germany. They don’t want the club to be like Bayern and Dortmund in Europe and win the country. They don’t ask the club to play beautiful football or win the game. There are various news about club signings on the app.
As Daniel Sander, editor of a Freiburg fan site, told Football in Those Times: "The fans would rather the team be relegated again, and then struggle by instinct like Hamburg. You can visit some new stadiums, dominate the Bundesliga second division, and then enjoy the upgrade party."
Even some other clubs in the Bundesliga didn't understand them. Freiburg were not strong enough at the time, and it was only natural that they were humiliated throughout the season.The fans know the limitations of the club, so you can’t see them frowning at all. Volker-Walker, who had coached the team for 13 years at the time, was never questioned. In the end, because he failed to bring Freiburg back to the Bundesliga for two years, Walker thought he was sorry for the expectations of the club and the fans. They joked about Freiburg's looming relegation, but locals either smiled or wondered what they were doing.
As the smallest club in the Bundesliga, neither the fans nor the club will complain about why the price in the transfer market suddenly rises so high, let alone why the club has never been able to buy stars at a high price from time to time like other clubs, so that the club's performance can be stabilized and the fans will not often be frightened in the relegation zone.
The biggest sponsor before Freiburg’s sponsorship was 600W sponsored by a local milk factory. This is already the transfer fee they can use for a season. Freiburg’s signings are definitely shrewd and professional, but they are as down-to-earth as their playing style. So most of the time when you see Freiburg’s lineup, you will exclaim why there are so many young players in Freiburg. Is this a U23 or reserve team?Unlike the 23-year-old in China who can be regarded as a teenager, the 23-year-old in Freiburg is already a seasoned veteran of the team. Some outstanding players have begun to attract the attention of other clubs, and they are ready to spend a certain price. Take them away.
It is very acceptable for the Freiburg club that young players want to leave. The fans may feel a little bit reluctant, but they are used to it, because they know that Freiburg cannot keep these players, and they are also happy to see them. They look forward to some young players joining the club and growing together.
Moreover, although Freiburg’s youth training level is not as famous as Schalke 04, Stuttgart, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, which produce many world-class stars, Freiburg’s youth training has not hindered the Bundesliga’s youth training at all. At present, four of the main players of Freiburg’s first team are from there: goalkeeper Alexander Schwolo, midfielder Nicolas Hoeffler, left back Christian Ginter and Maximilian Philippe, and other Freiburg football players. The school's youth training products have also been transferred at high prices, including Borussia's Mathias Ginter, Dortmund's Omer Toprak and Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann.They have a long tradition in this regard. The best goalscorer in the history of the club is from a small town in the Black Forest. He is Joachim Loew, who once served as the coach of the German national team.
Fan-oriented, low-key development, and down-to-earth, this is the model that Freiburg Club insists on.
Facing Freiburg, most of the media predicted that Hoffenheim, who was in good form, could easily win the game. Even some optimistic local media in Sinsheim gave an optimistic result that Hoffenheim could win the game by a big score.
Thank you Red Nimbus for the monthly ticket, and thank you for the recommendation tickets of Hanhun Immortal, Red Nimbus, and POPsound.
(End of this chapter)