SC Freiburg: Matthias Ginter, who went out to become world champion – football

Tears flowed after the signature. After all, Matthias Ginter had just fulfilled a dream: the first professional contract of his life. But neither the young central defender nor the then sports director of SC Freiburg Dirk Duffner, who had presented him with the contract, could have guessed what Ginter would do the next day.

“I like to think back to it,” says Ginter ten years later in an interview with SWR Sport. “Not every morning. But definitely every two or three months. And now, on anniversaries, anyway.” It was a moment that still connects him with SC Freiburg – and with his mentor at the time, Christian Streich. Surely that’s why he likes to return to Breisgau so much.

Christian Streich formed Matthias Ginter into a Bundesliga professional at SC Freiburg

In the summer of 2011, Ginter won the DFB Junior Cup with SC Freiburg. Youth coach Christian Streich gave an emotional farewell speech and became Marcus Sorg’s assistant coach with the pros. The then 17-year-old Ginter should play another year in the A youth. But in January 2012 everything suddenly changed: Sorg had been fired shortly before New Year’s Eve 2011 and Ginter’s former youth coach Streich was now the boss. And Streich knew Ginter’s qualities.

They met in Duffner’s office. The professional contract was already prepared. All he had to do was put his signature under it. Ginter, who had just come of age, gratefully accepted the offer.

Winning goal in double Bundesliga debut

A day later, SC Freiburg had to play against Augsburg. Freiburg was bottom of the table with just 13 points. Augsburg in 17th place had 15 points. Ginter stood directly in the squad and watched from the bench as his new teammates despaired of the Augsburg defence. Then Streich beckons: warm up. A few minutes later, Streich signaled “we’re changing”. It’s January 21, 2012, just before 5 p.m., the 70th minute of the game. Matthias Ginter celebrates his Bundesliga debut. It’s 0-0. Only 18 minutes later, the Dane Michael Lumb crossed the ball into the penalty area, no Augsburg defender felt responsible for Ginter, who heads the ball into the goal – 88th minute, 1-0 for SC Freiburg. It was the winning goal and the start of a race to catch up, which culminated in an early relegation three months later. The following Monday, the club made it public that Ginter had signed a professional contract.

Matthias Ginter matured into a regular player under Christian Streich and even made it into the national team and the 2014 World Cup with his help. “I owe him a lot,” said Ginter on the occasion of their joint anniversary. “It cannot be taken for granted that he let me play in the relegation battle at such a young age,” said Ginter. “He gave me a lot to take with me on a sporting and personal level.” That’s why he still feels a special connection to his coach at the time. In these situations, Christian Streich is more a mentor than a coach.

Ten successful years

After two great years at SC Freiburg, Ginter left Breisgau and went out into the world. First to Borussia Dortmund, where he won the Supercup (2015) and the DFB-Pokal (2017). With the national team he won Olympic silver in 2016 and the Confederation Cup in 2017. He then moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach. After five successful years on the Lower Rhine, he announced his departure shortly after Christmas. Where he is going and whether he can still be seen in the Bundesliga from summer or but at Inter Milan is not known.

But after all these years and all the successes, Matthias Ginter still looks back fondly on that day when he made Christian Streich and himself the Bundesliga debut on January 21, 2012 against FC Augsburg with the winning goal against Augsburg. “Not every morning. But definitely every two/three months. And now, on anniversaries, anyway.”

–