“Brutal. Madness.” Christian Streich comments on his big coaching anniversary with typical words. On an overflowing barrel of memories, achievements with the SC community and the challenges as a public figure.

On Wednesday, 29 December, Christian Streich will have been working as head coach of SC Freiburg for ten years. A proud anniversary for the 56-year-old, who has long since followed in the footsteps of great predecessors in terms of coaching dynasties, such as Hennes Weisweiler (over eleven years at Gladbach), Thomas Schaaf and Otto Rehhagel (both over 14 years at Werder Bremen), as well as Volker Finke, whose 16-year tenure at Freiburg remains the record in German professional football.

As long as Finke? Streich certainly says “No “

Streich once said he couldn’t imagine 16 years. At his five-year mark, he couldn’t imagine another five years at a stretch either. So is the Finke record now conceivable after all? “No,” says Streich in the extensive. And what comes to his mind about the ten years? “Brutal. Insane.” Typical Streich choice of words.

Did this decade go by quickly? “In retrospect, yes, but not during,” says the football coach, for whom the barrel of memories has long since overflowed: “So many things happened. I have so many things filed away in my head that aren’t there, but if someone presses on the head or I see an ex-player from a certain time, everything comes back. You experience so much, you really have to put it somewhere. I don’t even know where it all is, I have a big head but it’s not that big. ”

You experience so much, you really have to put it somewhere. I don’t even know where it all is, I have a big head, but it’s not that big.

“People who like to come” and “countless close connections “

In any case, Streich is a character head who, together with his coaching team, is doing an excellent job, which has currently culminated in the best half-season under his direction and 3rd place in the first round. The greatest achievement of him and his fellow coaches? “That we played nine-tenths of the time in the Bundesliga and became champions the year after relegation. We’ve had success within the means of SC Freiburg and play football in such a way that people enjoy coming to our stadium.” What is particularly important to him beyond that: “We have a very good relationship with the boys over the years. Countless close ties and friendships have developed between the physios, players, us coaches and other close staff. We are and always have been a community. This term is easily pronounced, but living community in a positive sense is not so easy. ”

The not uncomplicated life in the limelight

Despite this community, large sections of the public perceive Streich as the face of SC Freiburg, he is in the limelight. Even in his early days, he admitted to also doing this job out of vanity, to receive recognition for achievements. He and the SC have been literally showered with praise and compliments for years, especially from opponents. “There are reasons why things have been going well in the last few years, or decades, that is, even before me. People see that, and it’s nice when they praise you,” said a delighted Streich, who would, however, prefer to be less in the spotlight.

“When you are a public person, you never have a very calm pulse. At least I don’t,” the SC coach reveals, “because I never want to forget someone when saying good day, for example. That’s also exhausting and wears you out. You have to watch what you say, whereas I’m not crazy about what I say – fortunately. But I’m probably also paying more and more attention. The limelight is still sometimes strange to me and dealing with media and expectations is not uncomplicated. “