SC Freiburg prepare for kickoff on German Federal Election Weekend: “More important than football.” | OneFootball

In the always intertwined world of politics and Bundesliga football, SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster took an opportunity on Thursday to prove himself Christian Streich’s true successor. Streich – actually one of the figures on the board responsible for electing Germany’s (largely ceremonial) President – never missed an opportunity to weigh in on the state of German politics.

Germans will head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new governing coalition. The last time citizens of the Bundesrepublik did so was on September 26th, 2021. This happened to coincide with the very last match at Freiburg’s old Dreisamstadion.

In a highly emotional scene, Streich himself went into the FanKurve to lead the final cheers. Afterwards, there were heartfelt words from the highly respected Breisgau man on the importance of the democratic process in post-war Germany. Streich always stressed the importance of keeping fringe parties at bay.

Following the collapse of Germany’s three-party coalition (the three-party government in Germany for over 50 years) in November there exists a great deal of anxiety in Germany that a stable governing coalition can be formed under Germany’s proportional representation system.

The denizens of Freiburg and their football club have remained very active in promoting the importance of the forthcoming election. As is the case in every democracy, voter apathy and non-participation remains the greatest danger.

All around Freiburg, banners produced by the Sport Club proclaiming “Unsere Werte, unsere Wahl!” (“Our values, our election”) have been put up. Players will be wearing warm-up tricots promoting the election, and the new Europa Park Stadion will feature the slogan on banners and screens.

While raising awareness may seem more like an act of symbolism, Schuster explained why such drives remain important at his Thursday press conference. Again, the issue of apathy threatens the potential of a government that reflects the needs and desires of its citizens.

GGFN | Peter Weis