SC Freiburg are into their first-ever continental final, and Vincent Kompany did not hide how highly he rates the run. After Freiburg beat Sporting Braga 3-1 in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, the Bayern München head coach described them as a model for other clubs and a good example of how to build properly.
Why Kompany held up Freiburg as a blueprint
"It is really great what Freiburg is doing. What Freiburg is doing is a really good example for many clubs," Kompany said.
He went further in his assessment. "How do you describe what Freiburg is doing this season? I believe that is everything that is positive in football. Such a small club that builds itself up with its own means. There is a philosophy, a vision."
That is the part of Freiburg's rise that stands out. They reached the final without buying their way there, and Kompany's point was less about sentiment than structure. Freiburg are 7th in the 2025 Europa League table with 17 points from 8 matches, and their 5W-2D-1L record gives some backing to the idea that this is a properly built run rather than a one-off burst.
Kompany also pointed to the people inside the club. Julian Schuster, 41, took charge in 2024 after replacing Christian Streich, and Kompany said: "Julian [Schuster] deserves great respect - but also the people around the club making the decisions with him." That continuity matters here. Freiburg's progress has carried from one coach to the next without looking like a reset.
Their +6 goal difference in 8 Europa League matches adds to the case. Freiburg are not just hanging around in the competition, they have been efficient enough to keep moving through it while remaining 8th in the 2025 Bundesliga with 44 points from 32 matches.
What comes next for Freiburg
The final is against Aston Villa in Istanbul on May 20, and Kompany was open about wanting the German side to finish the job. "We also hope they win the trophy for German football," he said.
That is a fair position. Freiburg have already done the difficult part by reaching the club's first continental final, and the semi-final win over Braga gave the run the kind of credibility Kompany was talking about. The next step is much bigger, because Villa arrive with 2nd place in the 2025 Europa League table, 21 points from 8 matches, and a five-match winning streak in the competition.
For now, though, Freiburg's story is the one Kompany chose to spotlight. He was not talking about a lucky break or a surprise cup run. He was talking about a club that has stayed close to its own idea and taken it all the way to Istanbul.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
