By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Over the past years, a small German club delivered an encouraging example of how to survive in the overheated business of professional football.
No other club than the SC Freiburg is more often mentioned by its competitors as a role model to follow when it comes to dealing with ups and downs aside from well-oiled talent breeding.
Now the first-tier side of coach Christian Streich finds itself ahead of the club's biggest success in its history having reached the 2022 German Cup final played out on May 21 in Berlin.
Not to speak of the best national league campaign that might carry the side to the Champions League's group stages.
The coaching history of Freiburg's semifinal Cup opponent Hamburger SV is already telling the main parts of the story.
While the HSV wore out 15 coaches over the past 12 years, the SC only counted on one, 56-year-old Streich.
Hamburg might have been the more successful club over the past decades. The four-time German champion in 1983 won the Champions League with former Chinese Super League coach Felix Magath scoring the winning goal against Juve.
Other than Freiburg, Hamburg lost contact as turmoil took hold of the club whenever expectations couldn't be addressed. The club's creeping descent started 10 years ago, since 2018 the second division is the place to be.
Consistency seems the key factor shaping Freiburg's remarkable story.
"Special years coming along with unusual success don't trigger new expectation standards. At the same time, we don't kick someone out, when things end up in the second division," sporting director Jochen Saier said.
The sporting director has been around for 20 years aside from technical director Klemens Hartenbach counting on 21 years. Streich is working in Freiburg since 1995 in several positions, taking over the first team in 2012. Hartenbach and Streich shared an apartment when studying.
"This culture isn't dropping down from the skies. It takes ongoing efforts to keep it alive," Saier stated.
12 of the 26 players of the SC's current team went through the club's talent school.
In Saier's respect success is a matter of opinion.
So-called soft skills today play a bigger role in professional football.
"We take a look at a player's social skills and rate team spirit and a vivid debating culture as vital," the 44-year-old told Xinhua.
Freiburg is counting on slow growth. Currently, the side moved to a bigger arena. Several players made their way to the German national team such as Nils Schlotterbeck and Christian Gunter.
Hansi Flick convinced Freiburg's goalkeeper coach Andreas Kronenberg to join the German national team's coaching staff.
The club is managing to get along smoothly constantly losing its best performers to other clubs.
Schlotterbeck is the latest example as the defender is said to join Borussia Dortmund for the 2022/2023 season.
Losses don't lead to unrest. Freiburg is taking them as part of the game always presenting suitable replacements. Several players returned after not achieving their breakthroughs at bigger clubs.
"We try to stay authentical, no matter what happens," Saier said. Not only that seems to have increased the club's attractiveness. "We all know about less happy days and, that they might come again. The more it is important to stick to your way."
Or as coach Streich put it: "It's great to be in the final, but we can lose it." ■
