Freewheeling Freiburg - how Julian Schuster has boosted the Black Forest boys
Freiburg have taken three wins from their first four matches of the season, with Julian Schuster injecting a fresh sense of freedom and ambition in their play. bundesliga.com looks how the new man in charge has hit the ground running after following in the legendary footsteps of Christian Streich.
Humility and respect are possibly not two words on every new coach's lips when thinking of how to assert their way on a new team, but they were music to the ears of the Freiburg hierarchy when Schuster was unveiled as successor to the seemingly irreplaceable Streich in March.
The club had considered hiring a coach from outside but opted for their tried and tested approach of placing their faith in their own with an internal appointment. Schuster immediately struck the right tone of acknowledging the size of the task while extolling his own virtues.
"Coaching Freiburg is a delight for me and a challenge too," the 39-year-old said. "I am aware of the size of the challenge, and am convinced I can take it on - but with humility and respect too. This club is made of its determination, passion and connection to the city and the region."
Watch: Tearful Christian Streich bids farewell after final home game
After six years as a youth and assistant coach, there was nobody better placed than former club captain Schuster to continue the down-to-earth and hardworking philosophy that had seen Freiburg flourish in the Bundesliga during the epic 12-year reign of Streich and even make the UEFA Europa League knockout rounds twice in succession in the past two seasons.
A tenth-placed finish in 2023/24 was the Freiburg's lowest since 2019, and while there was no danger at all of that provoking any alarm bells at the perenially laid-back club, it did give Schuster some room to improve his side.
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It is fair to state that Freiburg have exceeded all expectations in their opening four Bundesliga encounters under Schuster. A superb 3-1 home win over runners-up and regional rivals VfB Stuttgart made for a dream coaching debut, and the Black Forest club have pressed on from that promising platform, with a commanding 3-0 success at in-form Heidenheim being their third win out of four. Only a so far flawless Bayern Munich have come between Schuster's side and three points.
In time-honoured Freiburg fashion, Schuster's sensational start has stemmed not from a revolution or a grand design, but a series of small changes. A couple of modest summer transfers brought some key extra attributes to Freiburg's squad, while implying confidence in the current crop of players.
The speedy Eren Dinkçi, who last season posted the joint-fastest pace of any Bundesliga player while on loan at Heidenheim, has injected some much-needed pace to the midfield, while Patrick Osterhage has proved a shrewd acquisition from Bochum as a dependable defensive shield.
Watch: All of Eren Dinkçi goals and assists in 2023/24
The greatest secret to Schuster's success has, however, been in making the most of players that were already at his disposal. Vincenzo Grifo has been Freiburg's top scorer in each of the past four seasons, and his brace against Heidenheim has shown that he is relishing the greater attacking tilt under Schuster that has led Freiburg to eight goals already.
Ritsu Dōan's belting finish against Heidenheim is the pick of those eight strikes, and the Japanese winger's confidence is easy to explain from the fact he has been selected to start in all four Bundesliga encounters under Schuster. His two goals this campaign have followed on from a strong end to the previous season to make for an impressive seven strikes in his past 13 games.
Watch: All Vincenzo Grifo's free-kick goals in the Bundesliga
The player who has perhaps ridden the brave new wave the most is striker Junior Adamu, who finally scored his first goals for the club in a domestic match with a brace in a 4-0 DFB Cup win at Osnabrück and followed that up by breaking his league duck with a match-winning pair against Bochum.
In defence, Schuster has been bold enough to trust 21-year-old club youth product Max Rosenfelder - in the early-season injury-enforced absence of fellow homegrown centre-back Matthias Ginter -who has looked completely assured in a back line that has conceded just four goals so far (two of which were away at free-flowing Bayern).
"It’s absolutely our DNA that we always use younger players," Schuster said when asked after the Heidenheim game about the fact that three of his five substitutes were Freiburg academy graduates. "But we also only do it when they show quality and perform. They’ve done that over the first few weeks."
Watch: Adamu brace seals Freiburg win over Bochum
While Schuster has inherited many of the virtues that served Streich so well, such as a well-oiled and hardworking team freed from any great weight of expectation, certain tactical tweaks have allowed his charges to flourish. A greater focus on pressing suits Adamu perfectly, with the Austrian gaining a serious schooling on the approach during his three years on the books of Red Bull Salzburg.
Adamu is currently second in the league for intensive runs, with his excellence in that element of his game arguably taking the pressure off his finishing. It is no surprise to see Freiburg in the top three teams for distance covered after Matchday 4, with a higher defensive line supporting the front-footed approach.
Watch: Highlights of Freiburg's 3-0 win at Heidenheim
A delighted Grifo said after the win at Heidenheim that the opponents' coach, Frank Schmidt, "asked whether I had jumped into a fountain of youth" due to his energetic showing. The 31-year-old clarified that there was no magic at work, but "Julian Schuster has introduced new components and a new philosophy, along with new training exercises that are more demanding."
With Freiburg being Freiburg, there is no chance of them getting carried away with their success so far, but a home encounter with newly promoted St. Pauli on Matchday 5 offers another chance for Schuster's side to sparkle and prove that their flying start is anything but a fluke.
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