SC Freiburg are investing 4.5 million euros in the winter for the right side of defence. Christian Streich talks about the reasons for signing Hugo Siquet and explains what he expects from the Belgian U-21 international.
“Hugo is a young player with a lot of will, a lot of conviction, who is always drawn forward offensively. We’re very pleased that we’ve now been able to sign him,” said Streich: “We’ve invested a lot in this, essentially of course the scouting department of Klemens Hartenbach and his staff.”
At the age of 19, Siquet is already a regular player for Standard Liege, currently twelfth in the Belgian first division. The right-back has always been in the starting eleven in the 16 league games so far this season. However, Streich stresses: “He has a lot to learn, but that’s normal at this age. It’s good that he’s not a finished player. It’s about balance, for example, when do you go on the offensive and working against the ball. But basically he has a lot of energy in him and it’s good when someone has a lot of drive, then you can teach him the other things. “
Schmid unlikely to return to training until January
SC have now followed up on their summer attempt to sign Siquet, investing a whopping €4.5 million in the Belgian U-21 international, who played in five of the six games for the “Young Devils” in the current European Championship qualifying campaign. In Freiburg, he competes with Lukas Kübler and Jonathan Schmid, who have been established at right back for several years, but who has been missing since the end of August due to a COVID-19 infection and is being carefully introduced in rehabilitation training.
It is unlikely that Schmid will be able to return to team training until January at the earliest. Since Streich and Co. see their own talent Kiliann Sildillia, who occupied the right lane against Leipzig in the absence of Schmid and Kübler, as more of a centre-back, Siquet could fight directly with Kübler for the place at right back. Or will he have the slightly longer acclimatisation period typical at SC to get used to the special demands under Streich?
He is a very talented player, we have spoken to him, also already done a video analysis with him. He goes one-on-one.
“He arrives in January, he’s played a lot, also in the U21s. He’s a very talented player, we’ve spoken to him, also already done a video analysis with him. He goes into duels,” says Streich and probably means the one with Kübler. However, the 56-year-old refuses to predict how soon the Belgian could be on the pitch for SC: “I don’t want to anticipate that, nor can I, it would be far too speculative.”
Due to the long injury break of home-grown Kimberly Ezekwem, the indispensable national player Christian Günter is once again without a back-up at left back. This is one of the reasons why there was a need to upgrade the outside backs, explains Streich, and he believes that all three right-backs can help out on the other side. The signing of a young player is always an investment in the “near or medium-term future”. Streich’s recommendation to Siquet: “Just arrive, train in a good team and group and learn German as quickly as possible. “
Studying Freiburg in front of the TV
Streichs is convinced of Siquet’s diligence in the language lessons, but he also has to take into account that the 1.80-metre man, who grew up in the French-speaking part of Belgium, will be living and working further away from home for the first time: “It will be an adjustment for him, but we are totally happy and he has come to us with full conviction because he has also watched us on TV several times and seen what kind of club we are. This is exactly the right step for a young player like him. And you have to assert yourself everywhere.” It promises to be exciting whether and how quickly Siquet will succeed.
