At least a few of Freiburg’s squad were able to enjoy a brief pause in the action over the three-week international break before October gets into full swing, with seven competitive fixtures in 20 days and the start of the UEFA Conference League league phase. “It was a different kind of challenge for us. We gave the lads who stayed here a few days off. Their attitude was very positive during the training sessions that followed, and we had the opportunity to bring a few young players into the first team. We were very pleased with that, as well as with the friendly against FC Luzern,” Julian Schuster reflected on the time spent together at the training ground.

There was less time to rest for the twelve internationals, who travelled around the world to represent their respective teams during the extended break – and enjoyed plenty of success along the way. Four Freiburg players – Philipp Treu, Derry Scherhant, Yannik Engelhardt and Jordy Makengo – made their senior international debuts, while Mio Backhaus helped Germany’s U21s seal qualification for the European Championship. “These were special moments for our players, and I was pleased that they were able to gain new experiences. I hope they can carry those experiences and that momentum into the coming weeks,” Schuster said.

On their return to competitive action, Freiburg face four consecutive weeks with midweek fixtures. First up is a meeting with newly promoted Schalke, who have made a solid start to the season, picking up five points from their opening four matches after three years in the second division.

A ‘solid start to the season’ also sums up Freiburg’s campaign so far, although their record is even more impressive. The team have won six of their seven competitive fixtures across all competitions, scoring 24 goals in the process. The only time Freiburg have dropped points was the entertaining 2-2 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt three weeks ago.

“Ideally, we want to pick up where we left off before the break,” explained the 41-year-old. However, maintaining their winning run against Schalke will require a focused and committed performance. “Not only are they tricky to play against in terms of the defensive side of their game, but they also have plenty of pace on the counter-attack. They are dangerous from set-pieces and play with passion and a real sense of structure as a team. That makes this a challenge which will demand a lot of us. We will need to be patient on Sunday.”

Freiburg will be without only Bruno Ogbus and Berkay Yilmaz, who are both carrying knocks. A limited number of tickets for the start of this hectic October schedule are available via the ticket exchange.

Photo: Arne Amberg