High-flying Freiburg stay focused as dream run continues

Five months after their Europa League final appearance, Freiburg find themselves atop the Bundesliga table, marking the most successful period in the Black Forest club's history. Coach Julian Schuster, who spent a decade in the club's midfield before taking over from the long-serving manager Christian Streich in 2024, eschews the Bundesliga standings, emphasizing his focus lies elsewhere.

Freiburg's unbeaten streak in their last five games, better than defending champions Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, keeps them in the top spot.

Defending champions Bayern Munich and perennial challengers Borussia Dortmund rank just behind Freiburg, but the team is cautious about their meteoric rise. Coach Schuster, who mentored Streich for a decade, believes his duty doesn't involve concern for the standings or expending energy on them. Freiburg's trajectory since their most recent promotion in 2016 has been upward, with the club becoming a staple of the top flight and capturing their first-ever German Cup final in 2022.

Despite Streich's departure after a 12-year tenure, Schuster stepped into his mentor's shoes, leading Freiburg to last season's Europa League final. Having lost to Aston Villa 3-0, Freiburg bounced back with the best start to a campaign in their history. Freiburg are also being courted by top-tier talent, with former Liverpool winger Johan Manzambi joining the ranks this summer.

However, success and silverware remain elusive for Freiburg. Defender Matthias Ginter, a 2014 World Cup winner, calls for ambition and aspiration, stating that playing in Europe consistently is no longer enough. Freiburg's goal is to crack the Champions League for the first time, having made the semi-finals of the German Cup in three of the past five seasons.