Of ‘Black Sea Waves’ and ‘gummy bears’: Freiburg’s Julian Schuster explains Conference League triumph

SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster has offered an unusual explanation for his team’s impressive 1-0 Conference League victory over Trabzonspor on Thursday evening. The 41-year-old trainer compared the tactical discipline required to overcome the Turkish side to children being told not to touch a tempting supply of Haribo gummy bears.

Freiburg secured their second Conference League victory through a 14th-minute goal from Lukas Kübler, successfully protecting their narrow advantage despite increasing pressure from the hosts after halftime.

The victory represented an important response to Freiburg’s recent difficulties against stronger opposition. Defeats against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, along with a disappointing 0-3 loss to AS Monaco in the Conference League, had raised questions about the Schwarzwaldverein’s ability to compete consistently against higher-calibre opponents.

Thursday’s performance provided an encouraging answer.

Schuster praises Freiburg’s tactical discipline
Trabzonspor entered the encounter with considerable momentum, having recorded seven consecutive victories under German head coach Thomas Reis. The Turkish outfit’s aggressive pressing and dangerous counterattacking play presented a significant challenge for Freiburg.

Schuster’s side nevertheless took the initiative early on, repeatedly forcing mistakes in Trabzonspor’s buildup through determined pressing of their own. As detailed in Get German Football News’ firsthand match report and player ratings, Freiburg created several opportunities during an impressive opening period before Kübler capitalized on André Onana’s spilled save to put the visitors ahead.

The Bundesliga representatives subsequently demonstrated an increasingly mature understanding of when to attack and when to exercise restraint. Speaking after the match, Schuster praised the precision with which his players executed their instructions.

Schuster was particularly impressed by the team’s ability to resist tempting attacking opportunities when a loss of possession could have left them vulnerable to Trabzonspor’s dangerous transitions.

“The lads really carried out all the assignments we gave them to perfection,” the Freiburg coach explained. “Whenever there’s something tempting, you want to reach for it, but you mustn’t give in. I’m thinking of an example involving children and Haribo gummy bears. They’re sitting alone in a room and are told not to touch them.”

The Freiburg trainer emphasized that resisting such opportunities was particularly demanding from a psychological perspective.

Freiburg demonstrate growing maturity against strong opposition
Schuster’s observations also reflected the broader development of a team that has experienced considerable success during his tenure without always managing to impose itself against elite opposition. The difficulties in Monaco provided a particularly useful comparison. Freiburg had struggled to establish themselves in that contest, eventually returning from the principality with a three-goal defeat.

The circumstances in Trabzon could hardly have been more different.

In addition to the hosts’ aggressive approach, Freiburg were confronted by a particularly hostile atmosphere. Rather than allowing the conditions to unsettle them, Freiburg used the atmosphere as additional motivation.

The visitors also demonstrated considerable defensive resolve after Trabzonspor increased the pressure during the second half. Jordy Makengo, Philipp Lienhart, Matthias Ginter, and Lukas Kübler worked effectively as a defensive unit, while goalkeeper Mio Backhaus produced a crucial intervention to deny Mohamed Salah an equalizer.

Schuster drew a colourful comparison between the Turkish coastline and the waves of pressure his side encountered after halftime. During a team meeting, the Freiburg coach had looked out at the Black Sea and noticed that the waves differed considerably from those he had observed along the Mediterranean coast.

“Perhaps that was symbolic of some of the waves that came at us in the second half,” Schuster explained. “The lads stood firm against them and let everything bounce off. That’s quite remarkable.”

The Freiburg coach ultimately described the performance as his team’s best of the season. The result leaves Freiburg with six points from their opening three Conference League fixtures and strengthens their prospects of advancing directly to the Round-of-16.