Table leader Freiburg? No Bundesliga club makes more out of its possibilities

Tabellen leader Freiburg? No Bundesliga club makes more of its possibilities SC Freiburg works sustainably. The successes of the Breisgauers are only a surprise at first glance – they are based on personnel continuity and economic solidity. Five matchdays have passed in the Football Bundesliga, and an astonishing event has occurred: FC Bayern is not the table leader. Nor is it Borussia Dortmund or RB Leipzig. But SC Freiburg is – and at first glance, it looks strange as if the club has wandered from the far south of the republic into a territory that is not its own. Its habitat, so most believe, is another one, with the midfield looking upwards. But this overlooks what has been achieved in Freiburg recently, how the borders have been shifted. Not everything is possible. But much of it. For example, a place in the Champions League. The Freiburgers were very close to it just eighteen months ago. Or an outstanding result in the Europa League. They reached the final there last season. In the Conference League, they had no difficulty against Jablonec on Thursday evening with a score of 3:2. Even the new stadium is now too small Many things have changed in Freiburg. Those who want to go to the stadium no longer pass by the Flüsschen Dreisam in an idyll before entering the steps of the same-named venue. The new arena is on the outskirts of the city and offers space for almost 35,000 fans. In their time, this capacity was considered ambitious, now it is considered too small. Oliver Leki, the finance director, said in an interview with the NZZ last year: "Back then I always had to ask myself: 'How can one build such a large stadium on such a small site?' The same people who today cannot get tickets due to high demand say now: 'How could one have built so small?'" Other dimensions, certainly. But one thing has been preserved by this club: a solidity that competitors can only dream of. Unflappable to the bone: this is SC Freiburg. Just one example: With Noah Atubolu, the Freiburgers developed one of the most promising young German goalkeepers. Atubolu, apparently poorly advised, lingered on renewing his contract and expressed desires for a move. The Freiburgers then engaged Mio Backhaus – and Atubolu was free. Consistent, but not cruel, as he was allowed to stay fit with the team until Eintracht Frankfurt signed him as a loan player. A performance-enhancing climate is so. In the last spell of coach Jürgen Klopp, four SC players were present: In addition to the two midfield players Yannik Engelhardt and Philipp Treu, Klopp also called up the central defender Max Rosenfelder and the forward Derry Scherhant in September. The latter, after strong performances with the club, probably has good chances to feature often on the wing in the DFB team. Continuity as a Key Such solidity has its reasons. Whoever asks Oliver Leki, they hear the answer: "Personnel continuity – and that in all positions." Employees remain with the club for an astonishingly long time, especially those in management and, uncommonly, on the coaching staff. One can look to Volker Finke, who stayed in Freiburg from 1991 to 2007, i.e., sixteen years, or to Christian Streich, who shaped the SC team from 2011 to 2024, i.e., twelve and a half years. In their own way, two Zampanos with great public impact, excellent specialists who could develop a team, but certainly not free from all vanity. Finding the right coach for the Freiburg ecosystem is perhaps the greatest ability that characterizes this club. Because Julian Schuster, who was responsible for the exquisite results of the last two years, was not a household name, but was very well known in the club: As a professional, he played for SC, and before being appointed as the successor to Christian Streich, he was the so-called connecting coach between the U23 and the senior team. Such continuity not only ensures calm, it also saves money: In the last thirty years, no coach had to pay a severance. Another Record Turnover Those who look at the numbers do not look at an outsider anymore: In the 2025/26 season, the Freiburgers presented a record turnover again – 212 million euros, plus more than 30 million euros profit. The club has no bank liabilities. Dream values, not in absolute figures, but in relation to what other clubs of this size are able to achieve. And this ratio now reflects the sporting abilities of the Freiburgers. May the last year with reaching the Europa League final against Aston Villa have been exceptional: That Freiburg becomes a regular guest in this competition is anything but unlikely. And against this background, no one needs to wonder about a table lead on the fifth matchday, and perhaps beyond.