Christian Streich PHOTO: Reuters
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The beleaguered Bayern Munich will meet Christian Streich’s longest-serving current coach on Sunday, the unorthodox coach who has made Freiburg a force to be reckoned with, especially in recent weeks.
Thanks to the record of five wins in a row, Freiburg climbed from 14th to 8th place.
Last Saturday’s 5-0 win against Cologne was Freiburg’s biggest league win in more than 20 years.
Not that prank gets excited about such things.
“It’s not about records – the most important thing is that we keep evolving,” he said.
Bayern, on the other hand, fluctuate after the shocking elimination of the German Cup on Wednesday in the second division Holstein Kiel and a 2-3 defeat against Mönchengladbach.
“Bayern led 2-0 and then lost 2-3. So you can imagine what’s going on in Munich. said Streich, who fully expects to feel the wrath of Bavaria on Sunday.
In the luxurious world of football made up of five-star hotels and private jets, Streich has both feet planted on the ground.
He is philosophical about the enormous transfer fees that are paid for football players.
“The god of money is getting bigger,” he said after Paris Saint Germain paid a record € 222 million to Brazilian star Neymar in 2017 in Barcelona.
“At some point he will devour everything. But most people won’t notice until it’s all devoured.
The 55-year-old encourages his players to talk about politics and current affairs.
His press conferences often deal with topics that go far beyond the world of football.
When Chancellor Angela Merkel controversially approved an influx of refugees to Germany during the 2015 crisis, Streich did not hesitate to support her decision.
“Now is the time to open up to people, to receive them and to reduce their fears,” said Streich.
“It’s often the fear of others and the fear of strangers.
“It’s about getting to know other ways of thinking.”
“No tattoos, no piercings”
Streich has just spent the rare nine years at the helm of Freiburg, three times longer than any of his current Bundesliga colleagues.
The father of two lives in Freiburg and is known for traveling to home games. Like many Germans, he is an avowed fan of naturism, known as “free body culture”.
“I’m not your ideal marketing product,” he said after being appointed Freiburg coach.
“I’m just a normal guy – no tattoos, no piercings.”
Since Streich took over the helm in January 2012, the picturesque Black Forest Stadium in Freiburg has been a notoriously difficult place for away teams.
He has remained loyal to the club and returned to Freiburg in 2016 just one year after relegation to the Bundesliga.
Streich was born in Weil am Rhein, where the French, German and Swiss borders meet.
As the son of a butcher, he moved to neighboring Freiburg at the age of 18 and played for the amateur squad Freiburg FC, Stuttgart Kickers, the main club of Freiburg and Homburg.
After a broken metatarsal bone interrupted his playing career in 1995, he began to coach the Freiburg junior teams.
He won three German Cup junior titles and a national title for the Freiburg U19.
Streich developed the talents of potential future German national players Dennis Aogo, Sascha Riether and Turkish defender Omer Toprak.
He insists that his home is Freiburg and rejects the idea of switching clubs in order to improve his coaching resume.
“I can come home every day with my family and friends – it’s a privilege,” he said.
Streich has never lost the victory over the current leaders Bayern in the Allianz Arena and lost seven times in Munich.
His only win in 15 games against the Bavarian giants is a 2-1 upheaval in 2014/15.
“Can’t wait to see the game, it’s crazy,” he said earlier this week.
“The games against Bayern are always a great experience.
“And if they separate us because they’re so good – so be it,” he added.
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