Mark Flekken believes their Europa League opponent Juventus is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. This is the opinion of the German club, which continues to surpass expectations. Juventus, the former European champions, are currently ninth in Serie A. Freiburg is fifth in the Bundesliga and has never been to the final 16 of the Europa League.
“The desire to travel as far as possible remains. It’s definitely a game I’d like to play. It’s already something new and exciting. It will be a highlight for the club, the fans, and a large number of people. This is an exciting time to be a member of this group,” Mark Flekken said about Juventus. “At every level, the club is consistent. There have been difficult periods, fighting relegation, but it is all part of one enormous jigsaw. The puzzle is finally coming together. We gain from the years of effort put forth by others.”
For the Dutch goalkeeper, who had only made one top-flight appearance before his 26th birthday, it’s easy to see why this seemed so unlikely, one of football’s lucky accidents. Freiburg’s rise, on the other hand, is no accident; it is the result of rigorous planning. Freiburg’s legendary head coach, Christian Streich, took over in 2011, but he had been managing the U19 team since 1995. Jochen Saier, the sporting director, has been there almost as long. This stability of personnel aided the club’s transfer to a new stadium last season.
“The original stadium was smaller, but it had an excellent atmosphere. It was critical for us, the team, and the supporters, to convey that sentiment. The stadium is new, but the club and fans remain the same, therefore the identity remains the same,” he added. “Of sure, the new stadium contributes to revenue. It means we won’t have to rely on a transfer sale every summer. I believe we have done fairly well in the last 10 or 20 years in terms of managing finances, squad building, and the transfer market. Another important factor is that the team is cohesive. Character is more essential than a 1% difference in talent because what is talent? There are numerous talented players. We examine how the locker room operates and how they act when they are not playing.”
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