Bundesliga: Coach Julian Schuster extends his contract in Freiburg

After a successful debut season, Bundesliga club SC Freiburg has extended the contract with coach Julian Schuster.

An outstanding second half of the season, fifth place in the Bundesliga, and qualification for the Europa League – Julian Schuster has provided SC Freiburg with ample arguments for a new contract in his first season as head coach. "Julian and his team did an impressive job last year," said board member Jochen Saier in a club press release on Monday. "The team's development is absolutely positive, and everyone is very close." As usual, the club did not disclose how long his new contract is valid.

Julian Schuster took over the team in the summer of 2024 from Christian Streich, who coached SC Freiburg for twelve years and played a key role in shaping the successful era in the club's history. Schuster appears to have successfully completed the transition: "The club and the region mean a lot to me. We had a great year and were able to develop many things – beyond our league standings," said the 40-year-old, who has been active in Breisgau since 2008: as a Bundesliga player until 2016, as an assistant coach since 2018, and as head coach for the past year.

Schuster's assistant coaches Lars Voßler and Franz-Georg Wieland have also extended their contracts with SC Freiburg. Much to Schuster's delight: "It fills me with joy to continuously work on this further development together with the coaching and support staff, as well as the team."

Under Schuster's leadership, young players like Jordy Makengo and Johan Manzambi have recently developed significantly. Schuster also wasn't afraid to bench seasoned professionals like his former teammate Nicolas Höfler. In the final stages of the season, this also applied to the long-uncontested veteran Christian Günter. It will be interesting to see what the captain's role will look like in the future.

Also, how Freiburg is handling the additional burden of international competition. Or how they are compensating for the looming departure of attacking star Ritsu Doan. Schuster still has a lot of work to do. At the camp in Schruns in the Montafon region of Austria, he wants to lay the foundation for a successful second year.

Broadcast on Monday, July 21, 2025, 6:40 p.m., SWR1 Baden-Württemberg

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