After the victory in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup against FC Bayern Munich, Freiburg roared their joy in a crowd of jubilation when the Munich team snuck off the pitch, stunned.
“Bayern-Besieger” shouts echoed through the Allianz Arena. Only coach Christian Streich folded his arms and took note of SC Freiburg’s cup coup in Munich almost without emotion. “I was already celebrating. I just didn’t raise my hands,” said Streich after the 2-1 win before the Bundesliga match again on Saturday. “I was really looking forward to it,” the 57-year-old reiterated.
First victory for Freiburg on Tuesday
After all, it was a historic victory for Streich and the sports club. Freiburg won for the first time in Munich. The football-obsessed prank didn’t have that on his screen either. “Never, never, never? Hasn’t Volker ever won?” Streich asked the journalists after the triumph at the German soccer record cup winner.
By Tuesday evening, Freiburg had played 23 times in the Bavarian capital, losing 20 times. Streich recorded a draw, the other two draws were successful in the 1990s under Volker Finke. That’s why the success is something special, emphasized Streich. But Streich didn’t want to describe the 2-1 as the “greatest victory”. “We’ve had other great victories before.”
Freiburg not only ended their misery away from Bayern. The dream of triumph in Berlin lives on. When asked why the SCF won the cup, winning goal scorer Lucas Höler didn’t need long to find an answer. “Because we’re the best team,” said Höler, who scored the celebrated 2-1 win from the penalty spot in added time.
On course for the Champions League and the DFB Cup final
The people of Breisgau still have a score to settle with Berlin. Last year, Freiburg lost to RB Leipzig in a dramatic final on penalties. “We make sure that we work,” said Streich. Instead of dreaming, the coach is already looking ahead to the coming weekend in the Bundesliga.
The opponent on Saturday: FC Bayern. The goal: to be the spoilsport again. “They know they’ve achieved something great – and that’s important. The question is whether we can do it mentally again, whether you can do it mentally, because the stress of playing against Bayern is brutal,” said Streich renewed showdown with Munich.
The sports club is fourth in the Bundesliga and is therefore on course for the Champions League. It could therefore be a season of premieres for Freiburg, because the team from Baden has never been able to qualify for the premier class – and a title in the DFB Cup would also be a first for the SCF.
