Published on June 27, 2024 at 9:22 p.m.
Sunday evening, during Switzerland-Germany, he was just one spectator among others, waving his little black flag in the heart of the typhus German fans. Until May 11, Christian Streich was one of the most charismatic and popular coaches in German football. That day, he officiated his last home match with SC Freiburg, a football club in southwest Germany, where he spent twenty-nine years. A man evaded security and entered the pitch to meet him, before slipping and being arrested. Christian Streich intervened, got him released, and embraced him. They did not know each other, they cried together. The image will remain as the symbol of this coach who was in tune with the football public.
At only 59 years old, he admitted on March 18 that he “no longer had the necessary energy” to justify the announcement of his departure at the end of the season from SC Fribourg. He spent twenty-nine years there, as an educator from 1995, then coach of the first team in 2011, “almost without wanting to”, all too happy, far from the spotlight, to bully the youth. And 489 matches later, everyone praised his longevity, his dedication, his humility: peers, media, leaders, one-day supporters or lifelong opponents. Other universes too, those of culture, of politics.
All the latest news at your fingertips!
For only CHF 29.- per month, get unlimited access to all our articles. Take advantage of our special offer: the first month for only CHF 9.-!
SUBSCRIBE
Good reasons to subscribe to Le Temps:
- Unlimited access to all content available on the website.
- Unlimited access to all content available on the mobile application
- Sharing plan of 5 articles per month
- Consultation of the digital version of the newspaper from 10 p.m. the day before
- Access to supplements and T, the magazine of Le Temps, in e-paper format
- Access to a set of exclusive benefits reserved for subscribers
Already a subscriber?
To log in
