Head coach Christian Streich will depart SC Freiburg at the end of the season, after 29 years at the club.

Christian Streich played for SC Freiburg in the 1987/88 season, featuring 22 times in the second division for the side. He later became a youth coach in the club’s academy in 1995. As head coach of the Freiburg U-19s, he helped guide the team to the U-19 Bundesliga title in 2008, in addition to winning the Youth DFB-Pokal on three occasions.

Streich took up an additional role as assistant coach of Freiburg’s first team in summer 2007, before transitioning into a permanent position within the senior side from the 2011/12 season. The second half of that season saw Streich take over as head coach, a position he has occupied ever since. The 58-year-old has overseen 711 games across all competitions while in charge of the first team. During that time, he guided Freiburg back to the Bundesliga after finishing top of Bundesliga 2 in 2016, and also led them to the DFB-Pokal final in 2022. Under his charge, Freiburg have qualified for European competition on four occasions.

“I took a long time to reflect and discuss the decision, but I feel that after 29 years, now is the right time to make way for new impetus, new people and new opportunities. It has always been extremely important to me to make sure to step back at the right moment in which I feel it’s the right time to go,” said Streich. “I have been able to enjoy hundreds of special moments and memories during my time at SC. This club is my life and I’m extremely grateful for the close cooperation and support that I’ve been able to enjoy here. I’m excited to see what comes next for this club and I know that the right decisions will be made to ensure that we continue on in the same manner as we have over the last years and decades – always looking ahead and with our heads held high, even through tough times.”

Sporting director Jochen Saier had this to say about the announcement: “We have been in intense, emotional and very trusting discussions with Christian over the past few weeks – at the end of which a decision has been reached which we regret, but fully respect and understand. Christian’s conduct throughout those discussions has been as exemplary as he has always been throughout his twelve-and-a-half years as head coach, and in his total of almost three decades of coaching at SC. However, the time to say goodbye isn’t here yet – our journey together is not at its end. There is still plenty to achieve together in the last eight Bundesliga games of the season. The transparent exchanges we’ve had with Christian have enabled us to enter talks regarding next season’s coaching team in good time. His successor will be announced shortly. All further statements on the matter will follow after the end of the season.”