23 SC players, led out by Christian Günter and Chicco Höfler, entered the pitch at 11:06 CEST to the delight of the Freiburg fans. New signings Anthony Jung, Philipp Treu, Cyriaque Irié and Derry Scherhant were all involved in training, while Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Bruno Ogbus and Noah Weißhaupt, who has returned from a loan spell at FC St. Pauli, were also part of the session. Ritsu Doan trained in the gym on Sunday and, like the other nine players who were recently on international duty, will join team training over the coming two weeks. Kilian Katz from the U23s trained alongside fellow goalkeepers Florian Müller and Jannik Huth.

Before training properly got underway, DFL representative Friedemann Goertz handed the 'Fair Play of the Season' award to SC captain Christian Günter on behalf of the team for exemplary conduct both on and off the pitch. The award both recognised the team and the SC fans, who, during the last away game of the previous season in Kiel, put their celebrations following European qualification aside and first paid respect to the home team who had been relegated.

Divided into different drills, the players then completed the first training session of the season under the watchful eye of the 3,000 spectators in the east stand. The saves made by the three goalkeepers, in particular, repeatedly sparked waves of applause from the crowd. After 75 minutes, the first session came to an end, and the players took the time to fulfill all autograph and photo requests from both young and adult SC fans.

“Everyone’s excitement is clear to see”

The first interviews of the 2025/26 season also took place on Sunday. Chief sporting officer Jochen Saier commented: “We’re all looking forward to the new season and everyone’s excitement is clear to see.” Saier stressed that some players could still leave the club, but he’s overall extremely satisfied with the transfer window to date: “We’re happy with what we’ve done so far. We’ve got real competition for places in our squad, which is what we need for the right intensity in training.”

Julian Schuster is also looking forward to the new season. “I feel well rested. We’re happy that we managed to get the players we wanted,” said the SC coach. "In my first year, we talked a lot about development. Now, it’s about solidifying what defined us, while still being open to new things."

Four of the club’s five new signings spoke to the press on the touchline, the exception being Yuito Suzuki, who will join up with his new teammates on 14th July.

One of the new faces is Derry Scherhant, who has settled in quickly following his move from Berlin: “I’ve received a really warm welcome from everyone and I’m delighted to be here.” When asked about his favourite position, the 22-year-old responded: “My best performances last season were as a left winger, but I’m versatile and can play in several different roles.”

Anthony Jung featured as both a centre-back and left-back at his former club Werder Bremen. “I’m here to provide competition at the back,” commented the 33-year-old. “We have a lot of games to come and everyone needs to be ready. Playing in Europe has always been a dream of mine, which is why it’s fantastic that I’ve now got the chance to at my age.”

Philipp Treu has rejoined the club from FC St. Pauli and revealed that he never lost contact with SC during his time in Hamburg: “I always stayed in touch with people here. I’ve got some great memories from my last spell here and have that Freiburg DNA in me.” Treu mainly played on the left side at St. Pauli, but the 24-year-old can also operate on the other flank. “I can play on both sides of the pitch, I don’t have any preference.”

Cyriaque Irié recently celebrated his 20th birthday. The powerful attacker revealed his first impressions of his new team in his native French: “I already feel like this is my family. I believe that’s down to the spirit of Freiburg. My aim is to adjust to the Bundesliga and learn a lot as soon as I can. Success will then come on its own.”