Julian Schuster, the coach of Freiburg, was in a press conference the day before a historic European Cup final for his club.
The Europa League final on Wednesday against Aston Villa (9:00 p.m.) is “really special” and represents “an immense challenge” for Freiburg, who are preparing to play their first European final in their history, declared the German club’s coach, Julian Schuster, on Tuesday.
“It’s really special, we were still in the second division not long ago (the club was promoted to the Bundesliga at the end of the 2015-16 season), and now we are going to play a European final. I have absolute confidence in my team, and they are the ones who give me this conviction, as they are full of talent,” he continued.
Aston Villa and its “exceptional squad”
“We have all the necessary confidence to face a great team and a great coach,” he added. Unai Emery, his counterpart at Aston Villa, has won the Europa League four times but never with the Villans. Aston Villa “has an exceptional squad. It’s incredible to see how well they work together in perfect harmony, and they have a well-defined plan for each phase of the match. It will be an immense and wonderful challenge for us,” Schuster continued.
This is Freiburg’s fourth Europa League, after 2013-14 (eliminated in the group stage), and 2022-23 and 2023-2024, where they were knocked out in the round of 16. But Freiburg’s captain, Christian Günther, believes his team “has gained maturity.” “Throughout the season, we have found our footing and we want to show it tomorrow (Wednesday). We now have many strengths. It is important not to be overwhelmed by stress and to remain patient,” he said.
