SC Freiburg
German professional football club based in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
SC Freiburg, formally Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., is a German professional football club from Freiburg im Breisgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The club’s origins lie in two Freiburg football organizations established in 1904, which later merged and adopted the SC Freiburg identity in 1912. Its crest features a griffin head, a symbol associated with the club since that formation. Following periods of cooperation and stadium-sharing with other local organizations, SC Freiburg became an independent club again in 1952. Freiburg spent much of its early postwar history in the regional divisions of southern German football. It won several South Baden amateur titles before reaching the 2. Bundesliga in 1978–79. The club remained in the second tier for many seasons and established itself as a well-run challenger before achieving promotion to the Bundesliga in 1993 under coach Volker Finke. Freiburg’s early top-flight period included a third-place finish in 1994–95, its best league result for many years, and qualification for European competition. The team became known as the “Breisgau-Brasilianer,” a nickname referring to its technically attractive, attacking style of play. Finke’s 16-year tenure was central to the club’s modern identity. His approach emphasized continuity, tactical development, and the integration of young players rather than large-scale spending. Freiburg experienced relegations and promotions during and after this period, but it repeatedly returned to the Bundesliga. It qualified for the UEFA Cup in 1995 and again in 2001. After Finke’s departure in 2007, the club won the 2. Bundesliga in 2008–09 and returned to the top flight. Christian Streich became head coach during the 2011–12 season and subsequently led one of the longest and most stable coaching periods in German professional football. Under Streich, Freiburg finished fifth in the Bundesliga in 2012–13, reached the DFB-Pokal semi-finals for the first time, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. The club was relegated in 2014–15 but immediately won promotion again in 2015–16. It then developed into a consistent Bundesliga side, combining academy graduates, carefully selected transfers, and a disciplined team structure. Freiburg reached the DFB-Pokal final for the first time in 2021–22 and finished sixth in the Bundesliga that season. It also recorded notable European campaigns, including a run to the Europa League round of 16. In 2022–23, the club defeated Bayern Munich away in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals before losing to RB Leipzig in the semi-finals. Streich announced his departure at the end of the 2023–24 season, and his assistant Julian Schuster was appointed head coach. The club’s sporting model remains associated with youth development, organizational stability, community roots, prudent finances, and competitive performance relative to its resources. SC Freiburg played at the Dreisamstadion from 1954 until 2021, including the sponsorship-era name Schwarzwald-Stadion. It moved to the Europa-Park Stadion in 2021. The new stadium, located near Freiburg Airport, expanded matchday capacity and provided a modern home for the men’s, women’s, and youth sections. The club also operates SC Freiburg II and a broad youth structure, commonly referred to as the Freiburg Football School.
History
SC Freiburg traces its history to two clubs founded in Freiburg in 1904: Freiburger Fußballverein 04, established in March, and FC Schwalbe Freiburg, founded two months later. FC Schwalbe became FC Mars in 1905 and Union Freiburg in 1906, while FV 04 Freiburg changed its name to Sportverein Freiburg 04 in 1909. In 1912, SV Freiburg 04 and Union Freiburg joined to form Sportclub Freiburg. The newly consolidated club adopted the griffin-head emblem that remains central to its identity. The club’s early decades were shaped by changing local football structures and political circumstances. It played in regional competitions including the Bezirksliga Baden and Gauliga Baden, winning local titles but also suffering relegation. After the First World War, SC Freiburg temporarily cooperated with Freiburger FC to field a combined side. It also operated for periods as the football department of FT 1844 Freiburg and shared facilities with Polizeisportverein Freiburg. These arrangements reflected the limited infrastructure and fragmented organization of football in the city at the time. After the Second World War, occupation authorities dissolved existing German clubs and associations. SC Freiburg was temporarily reconstituted under the name VfL Freiburg. The club recovered its traditional name in 1950 after French authorities permitted organizations to restore their previous identities, and it separated from FT 1844 Freiburg in 1952. From the postwar period into the 1970s, Freiburg generally competed in southern German amateur divisions. It won the Amateurliga Südbaden in 1965, 1968, and 1978, and entered the 2. Bundesliga in the 1978–79 season. Freiburg spent approximately a decade and a half trying to establish itself above the second tier. Its breakthrough came under Volker Finke, who became coach in 1991. The team won the 2. Bundesliga in 1992–93 and entered the Bundesliga for the first time in 1993–94. It narrowly avoided relegation in its debut season, then finished third in 1994–95, only three points behind champions Borussia Dortmund. The side’s technical football earned it the nickname Breisgau-Brasilianer, or “Breisgau Brazilians.” Freiburg qualified for the UEFA Cup in 1995 and again in 2001, although it was eliminated in the opening round on both occasions. The club’s Finke-era progress was accompanied by relegations. Freiburg first dropped from the Bundesliga in 1997, returned to the top division, and later won the second division again in 2002–03. Finke resigned in May 2007 after 16 years. Robin Dutt succeeded him, and Freiburg won the 2. Bundesliga in 2008–09, securing promotion after a 5–2 away victory over TuS Koblenz. Christian Streich replaced Dutt during the 2011–12 season. His tenure became the defining modern chapter in the club’s history. Freiburg finished fifth in the Bundesliga in 2012–13, qualified for the Europa League, and reached the DFB-Pokal semi-finals for the first time. Relegation followed in 2014–15 after a final-day defeat to Hannover 96, but Freiburg immediately won the 2. Bundesliga in 2015–16. The club returned to the Bundesliga and established a durable top-flight presence, generally relying on player development, recruitment discipline, and tactical continuity. Freiburg qualified for the Europa League again after finishing seventh in 2016–17 and later enjoyed a particularly strong 2021–23 period. In 2021–22, the team reached its first DFB-Pokal final and finished sixth in the league. In the following season, it reached the Europa League round of 16 and defeated Bayern Munich away in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals before losing 5–1 at home to RB Leipzig in the semi-finals. Streich announced his departure in 2024, ending one of the longest coaching tenures in contemporary German football. Julian Schuster, previously his assistant, was appointed as successor. The club’s physical home also changed. The Dreisamstadion, named after the river running through Freiburg, hosted the team from 1954 until 2021 and was later known for sponsorship purposes as Schwarzwald-Stadion. Under Finke, Freiburg promoted an environmentally conscious stadium concept, adding solar panels that generated substantial electricity. In 2021, the club moved to the Europa-Park Stadion in the western district of Brühl, near Freiburg Airport. The new venue has a capacity of approximately 34,700 and supports the club’s men’s, women’s, reserve, and youth operations. SC Freiburg’s identity continues to combine regional representation, academy development, sustainable infrastructure, and competitive Bundesliga football.
- 2024
Julian Schuster takes over as head coach
[1]Schuster succeeded Christian Streich following the end of Streich’s long tenure.
- 2022
First DFB-Pokal final
[1]Freiburg reached the German Cup final for the first time and finished sixth in the Bundesliga.
- 2021
Move to Europa-Park Stadion
[1]The club left the Dreisamstadion and began playing at the newly built Europa-Park Stadion.
- 2016
Immediate return to the top flight
[1]Freiburg won the 2. Bundesliga after its 2015 relegation and returned to the Bundesliga.
- 2013
Europa League qualification and first DFB-Pokal semi-final
[1]The club finished fifth in the Bundesliga and reached the German Cup semi-finals for the first time.
- 2009
Return to the Bundesliga
[1]Freiburg won promotion after securing the 2. Bundesliga title.
- 1995
Third-place Bundesliga finish
[1]Freiburg recorded its best league finish of the era and qualified for the UEFA Cup.
- 1993
First Bundesliga promotion
[1]Under Volker Finke, Freiburg won the 2. Bundesliga and entered the top flight for the first time.
- 1978
Promotion to the 2. Bundesliga
[1]Freiburg reached Germany’s second division after winning the Amateurliga Südbaden.
- 1952
SC Freiburg becomes independent from FT Freiburg
[1]After postwar periods of reorganization and cooperation, SC Freiburg separated from FT 1844 Freiburg.
Products and positioning
Community-rooted German professional football club positioned around sporting development, youth integration, continuity, sustainability, and disciplined management.
Professional sport · 1993
Bundesliga men's football
SC Freiburg’s principal offering is competitive men’s football in Germany’s Bundesliga. The club sells tickets, season memberships, hospitality, broadcasting and sponsorship rights around its home fixtures at Europa-Park Stadion, while its sporting product is built around a stable squad, academy integration, and selective recruitment.
Youth development
SC Freiburg youth academy
The Freiburg Football School represents the club’s structured youth-development operation. It supports age-group teams and player pathways into reserve and first-team football. Academy development is a central part of the club’s sporting identity and helps Freiburg compete while maintaining a relatively conservative recruitment model.
Professional sport
SC Freiburg women's football
SC Freiburg operates a women’s football section that competes within Germany’s organized women’s football structure. The section forms part of the club’s broader sporting organization and provides additional matchday, partnership, community, and player-development activity.
Reserve football
SC Freiburg II
SC Freiburg II is the club’s reserve team and has competed through the German regional and professional divisions. It provides a competitive bridge between academy football and the senior first team. The reserve side has won regional championships and has appeared in the DFB-Pokal.
Retail
Club merchandise
The club’s merchandise range includes team shirts, training apparel, scarves, accessories, and other branded products for supporters. Retail activity extends the SC Freiburg identity beyond match attendance and supports fan engagement in Germany and among the club’s wider following.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Cazoo partnership
Germany
SC Freiburg announced Cazoo as a principal sponsor beginning in July 2022. The partnership placed the Cazoo brand on the men’s first-team shirts and extended visibility to SC Freiburg II, the youth program, and the women’s team.
Outcome. Cazoo received broad club-wide brand exposure across matchday, apparel, and team sponsorship assets.
- Solar-powered stadium initiative
Germany
SC Freiburg promoted the Dreisamstadion as an environmentally progressive football venue. Solar modules were installed across the north, south, and main stands, generating electricity and reinforcing the club’s association with sustainability and responsible infrastructure.
Outcome. The stadium became a prominent example of renewable-energy use in German football before the club moved to Europa-Park Stadion.
Brand decisions
2024
Appointment of Julian Schuster as head coachOtherBackground
Christian Streich announced his departure after a long tenure that had established a highly stable sporting model at the club.
Action taken
The club promoted Streich’s assistant Julian Schuster to become head coach.
Aftermath
The appointment preserved internal continuity while beginning a new coaching phase for the Bundesliga team.
2022
Expansion of Cazoo sponsorship across club sectionsOtherBackground
The club sought a principal commercial partner for its expanded professional and development operations.
Action taken
SC Freiburg placed Cazoo branding on the men’s first-team shirts and included the reserve, youth, and women’s sections in the sponsorship package.
Aftermath
The partnership created a unified commercial presence across several SC Freiburg teams and programs.
2021
Relocation to Europa-Park StadionOtherBackground
The Dreisamstadion had served as SC Freiburg’s home since 1954, but its capacity and facilities limited the club’s long-term matchday and commercial development.
Action taken
SC Freiburg moved its home fixtures to the newly completed Europa-Park Stadion in the Brühl area of Freiburg.
Aftermath
The club gained a modern stadium with an approximate capacity of 34,700 and a venue designed for contemporary Bundesliga operations.
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