SC Freiburg

Football club infobox
clubname = SC Freiburg


fullname = Sport-Club Freiburg
nickname = "Breisgau-Brasilianer"
founded = May 30, 1904
ground = badenova-Stadion
Freiburg, Germany | capacity = 25,000
chairman = flagicon|Germany Achim Stocker
manager = flagicon|Germany Robin Dutt
league = 2. Bundesliga
season = 2007-08
position = 2. Bundesliga, 5th
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Sport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg in the Breisgau district of Baden-Württemberg. Volker Finke, who was the club's manager between 1991 and 2007, was the longest-serving manager in the history of professional football in Germany.

History

The club traces its origins to a pair of clubs founded in 1904: Freiburger Fußballverein 04 was organized in March of that year; FC Schwalbe Freiburg just two months later. Both clubs underwent name changes, with Schwalbe becoming FC Mars in 1905, Mars becoming Union Freiburg in 1906, and FV 04 Freiburg becoming Sportverein Freiburg 04 in 1909. Three years later, SV and Union formed Sportclub Freiburg, at the same time incorporating the griffin head.

In 1918, after the devastation of World War I, SC Freiburg entered a temporary arrangement with Freiburger FC to be able to field a full side called KSG Freiburg. The next year, SC Freiburg associated themselves with FT 1844 Freiburg as that club's football department, until 1928 when they left to enter into a stadium-sharing arrangement with PSV (Polizeisportvereins) Freiburg 1924 that lasted until 1930 and the failure of PSV. SC Freiburg then picked up again with FT 1844 Freiburg in 1938. The club managed to play on highest level from 1928, first in the "Bezirksliga Baden", then in the "Gauliga Baden", from which they were relegated in 1934.

At the end of World War II, Allied occupation authorities disbanded most existing organizations in Germany, including football and sports clubs. The clubs were permitted to reconstitute themselves after about a year, but were required to take on new names in an attempt to disassociate them from the so-recent Nazi past. SC Freiburg was therefore briefly known as VfL Freiburg. By 1950, French-occupation authorities had let up enough to allow the clubs to reclaim their old identities. Finally, in 1952, SC Freiburg left FT Freiburg behind again.

To this point, the history of the club had been characterized by only modest success. Through the 1930s, SC Freiburg played in the Berzirkliga (II), with the occasional turn in the Gauliga Baden (I), and captured a handful of local titles. After World War II, they picked up where they left off, playing in the Amateurliga Südbaden (III).

While only a small club, SC Freiburg became known for the fight and team spirit in their play. This led them to the 2.Bundesliga in 1978-79 where they played for a decade-and-a-half before making the breakthrough to the Bundesliga in 1993-94. In their first Bundesliga season Freiburg narrowly avoided relegation. They made an exciting run in their second season at the top level, finishing third, just three points behind champions Borussia Dortmund. It was at this time that they were first nicknamed "Breisgau-Brasilianer" (literally "Breisgau-Brazilians") due to their attractive style of play.

The club's greatest success was reaching the UEFA Cup in 1995 and 2001.

SC Freiburg's first Bundesliga relegation was in 1997, after they finished in 17th position. While they have been relegated three times since first making the Bundesliga, they have twice managed to win immediate promotion back to the top league - but failed to do that in the most recent season, 2005-06. It was the first time since 1992 that Freiburg was playing in the 2. Bundesliga for two consecutive seasons. But, still, the "Breisgau-Brasilianer" continue to field a competitive side and are amongst the favourites for promotion to the Bundesliga.

Freiburg finished the 2006-07 season in fourth place in the 2nd Bundesliga, missing out on the third automatic-promotion spot on goal difference to MSV Duisburg. They won twelve of their last sixteen league games. They were knocked out of the German Cup in the second round by VfL Wolfsburg on October 24, 2006.

On May 20, 2007, Volker Finke resigned as the club's coach after sixteen years in the job. He was succeeded by Robin Dutt.

Honours

League

*2. Bundesliga champions: 1993, 2003
*Amateurliga Südbaden champions: 1965, 1968, 1978

International Tournaments

*Ciudad de Cartagena Trophy champions: 1995

Reserve team

*Oberliga Baden-Württemberg champions: 2008
*Verbandsliga Südbaden champions: 1998

Players

Current squad

"For recent transfers, see List of German football transfers summer 2008."

Notable players

* Michael Frontzeck, 19 caps for Germany
* Richard Golz, 219 league matches for Freiburg
* Jörg Heinrich, 37 caps for Germany
* Sebastian Kehl, 31 caps for Germany
* Joachim Löw, 252 matches and 71 goals for Freiburg
* Jens Todt, 3 caps for Germany; Euro 1996 winner
* Altin Rraklli, 63 caps and 11 goals for Albania
* Rodolfo Esteban Cardoso, 8 caps for Argentina
* Zlatan Bajramović, 30 caps for Bosnia
* Nikola Jurčević, 19 caps for Croatia
* Alexander Iashvili, 47 caps and 14 goals for Georgia
* Otar Khizaneishvili, 19 caps for Georgia
* Levan Kobiashvili, 83 caps for Georgia
* Levan Tskitishvili, 52 caps for Georgia
* Ibrahim Tanko, 10 caps for Ghana
* Ferydoon Zandi, 23 caps for Iran
* Soumaila Coulibaly, 57 caps for Mali
* Boubacar Diarra, 22 caps for Mali
* Miran Pavlin, former Slovenian international
* Bruno Berner, 16 caps for Switzerland
* Alain Sutter, 68 caps for Switzerland
* Zoubeir Baya, 81 caps and 18 goals for Tunisia
* Mehdi Ben Slimane, former Tunisian international
* Adel Sellimi, 71 caps and 20 goals for Tunisia

Managers past and present

*Robin Dutt (June 2007 to present)
*Volker Finke (July 1, 1991 to May 20, 2007)
*Eckhard Krautzun (July 1, 1990 to June 30, 1991)
*Bernd Hoss (December 1, 1989 to June 30, 1990)
*Uwe Ehret (August 27, 1989 to November 26, 1989) (second time)
*Lorenz-Günther Köstner (July 1, 1989 to August 26, 1989)
*Uwe Ehret (April 9, 1989 to June 30, 1989)
*Fritz Fuchs (January 1, 1989 to April 8, 1989) (second time)
*Jörg Berger (July 1, 1986 to December 17, 1988)
*Horst Zick (March 23, 1986 to June 30, 1986) (second time)
*Jupp Becker (January 25, 1986 to March 22, 1986)
*Anton Rudinski (July 1, 1984 to January 1, 1986)
*Fritz Fuchs (July 1, 1983 to June 30, 1984)
*Werner Olk (July 1, 1982 to June 30, 1983)
*Lutz Hangartner (July 1, 1981 to June 30, 1982)
*Horst Zick (January 25, 1981 to June 30, 1981)
*Jupp Becker (July 1, 1980 to January 24, 1981)
*Norbert Wagner (July 1, 1979 to January 24, 1980)
*Heinz Baas (September 30, 1978 to June 30, 1979
*Manfred Brief (July 1, 1972 to September 30, 1978)
*Edgar Heilbrunner (1969 to 1972)
*Hans Diehl (1964 to 1969)
*Hanns Faber (1963 to 1964)
*Hans Roggow (1960 to 1963)
*Kurt Mannschott (1956 to 1958)
*Willi Hornung (1953 to 1955)
*Andreas Munkert (1950 to 1953) (second time)
*Arthur Mattes (1949 to 1950)
*Andreas Munkert (1946 to 1949)

Women's section

Current squad

Recent seasons

C Freiburg

C Freiburg II

External links

* [http://www.scfreiburg.com Official team site]
* [http://www.abseits-soccer.com/clubs/freiburg.html Abseits Guide to German Soccer]