"It could maybe work in our favour"

Photo: Bernd Thissen
First Team
19.10.2021

Centre-back Philipp Lienhart sat down for our Interview of the Week, and spoke about the upcoming away game against VfL Wolfsburg (15:30 CEST).

scfreiburg.com: Philipp, was math your favourite subject in school?  

Philipp Lienhart: That’s an easy one to answer: no.  

What was your favourite subject?

Gym (grins).

Gym class doesn’t count. Pick a different one.

Maybe religion, that also didn’t involve a lot of work.

We just wanted to check because we’re going to give you a few numbers right now. After eight games, SC Freiburg are in fourth place with 16 points. Is that a good return, in your opinion?

We’re definitely happy with how we’ve started. We’ve picked up lots of points and have also played well in those games. We want to keep our unbeaten run going for as long as possible.

What was the key to securing the point against Leipzig?

We never gave up. We were unfortunate to concede a penalty, but we never gave up hope that we would be able to turn the game around. We played really well in the second half, and had a lot of chances. Leipzig would have had no grounds to complain if we had managed to win.

You already mentioned the penalty. You were involved in the play leading up to that moment. But, there was no foul given for a foul on Lucas Höler down the other end. Are you still frustrated about that moment even now, days later, or have you already moved past it?

To be honest, it does still bother me. Of course there was some contact on Nkunku, but if that was enough to warrant a penalty, I don’t know. There was definitely more contact on Lucas Höler and we weren’t awarded a penalty. It’s definitely frustrating.

At the end of the day, you picked up another point. During the post-match press conference, Christian Streich praised the team for the way they are playing right now, and that it’s exciting to watch. What’s it like from your perspective as a member of the team?

We are a very well-rehearsed team and have played together for a while now. There were also few players who left or joined during the summer. Thanks to that, every player knows exactly what they need to bring to the table. You can see that on the pitch. We fight for one another, we play good football and we create chances for ourselves. Feeling the support from the fans also helps give you an extra boost.

You played the last three and half years at the Dreisamstadion Did it take you some time to get your bearings in the new stadium?

I did get lost a few times down near the dressing rooms (grins). We will need some time to get used to it, but we’re excited. There’s room for more fans than before and the surroundings are really nice. The Dreisamstadion was really nice and homey. We will need to try to take the feeling from the old stadium into the new one. I think once the training facilities have been fully moved over and we’re in the new stadium full time, that’s when that feeling will come.

What memory will stick in your mind when you think about to making your competitive debut in the Europa-Park Stadion?

Good question. Maybe the penalty. I think it was the first one that I’ve conceded in the Bundesliga. Other than that, the first game in a new stadium is always something special. I will definitely remember it for a while.

Next, you’ll face Wolfsburg on the road. How will we need to play in order to take something from that game?

Similar to the past games. Wolfsburg are a good team, who will be competing in the Champions League on Wednesday. That could maybe work in our favour. We will need to work hard out of possession, allow our opponents little space, be willing to take on and win challenges and find creative solutions with the ball, all while using our chances to score.”

Interview: Marcel Burger, Sina Ojo

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