Nils Petersen played under Christian Streich at SC Freiburg for years. Despite their special relationship, the former professional footballer prefers to stick with Streich.
Although his long-time coach Christian Streich offered him the first name after his career ended, ex-national player Nils Petersen prefers to stick with him. “I like this hierarchy and this structure, so I’ll stick with you,” said Petersen at the Leipzig Book Fair. He has a “very, very special relationship with Streich and owes him a lot,” said the most successful substitute in Bundesliga history.
At the beginning of the week it was announced that Streich would not extend his expiring contract with SC Freiburg and would leave the Bundesliga club in the summer. His successor has been determined since Friday: ex-professional Julian Schuster will replace Streich.
“Bank Secret” at the Leipzig Book Fair
Streich was a human catcher and that’s why he was so successful, said Petersen. The coach offered him the first name at the end of his career. “You don’t do that during your career,” he said.
In the eight years he spent with Streich, Petersen always viewed his coach like a classroom teacher. He always had an open ear for the players’ private issues – “be it how the pregnant wife or the sick grandma was doing. He knew that that also had a strong influence on our game.” Streich also always made sure “that we continued to be educated,” Petersen recalled.
The 35-year-old, who now works as a television expert among other things, ended his professional career after the previous season. He was initially loaned to the sports club from Werder Bremen in 2015. He then moved permanently to Freiburg and stayed there until the end of his career. In his book “Bank Secret” Petersen looks back on his career, but also talks about the psychological pressure of being a competitive athlete.
Freiburg’s outgoing coach Streich also enjoys great popularity beyond sport. He has also taken a clear stance on political and social issues in recent years.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
