Julian Schuster interview: Freiburg coach on his dream start in management and the Europa League final

Just over two years after taking on his first permanent role as a coach, it may surprise even Julian Schuster himself quite how much he has managed to achieve in that time.

A stalwart midfielder during his playing days, Schuster made nearly 250 appearances for his beloved Freiburg before moving into the dugout in 2024. There, he has been nothing short of a revelation, guiding his side to a fifth-placed finish in his debut campaign before reaching a German Cup semi-final and, most impressively, the Europa League showpiece in Istanbul this season.

Sitting down with UEFA ahead of arguably the biggest game in Freiburg's history against Aston Villa, Schuster reflects on the impact of this achievement.

"I think that, when you looked at people's faces and saw the glint in their eyes, you could feel what it meant to everybody," he says of the momentous semi-final second-leg victory over Braga.

"It was even noticeable throughout the week before. That sense of anticipation is particularly special and obviously very important. Even then, plenty of people said that they had already booked for Istanbul.

"The sense of support and solidarity in the city is now even stronger than it already was. It's great. That's the power of football: that it can captivate so many people and bring them together. It's a really nice feeling and one we're enjoying at the moment."

Julian Schuster celebrates Freiburg's semi-final win over BragaAFP via Getty Images

Schuster insists thoughts of making it this far were far from his mind when he first acquired his coaching licence back in 2023: "It would have been presumptuous to even have thoughts like that. What I really discovered was that I enjoy coaching and that it is a passion to be able to pass knowledge on.

"I felt a real desire to be a coach. Of course, the thought that I could one day lead this team was there, but without a specific path. I was a long way from thinking that, three years later, I would be in a final."

So what have been the secrets to Schuster's success? "It's always important for a coach to be aware of the qualities of a team; how they want to play, how they see football and what the people here identify with," he says.

Julian Schuster during his playing career at FreiburgBongarts/Getty Images

"And then you combine this with your own beliefs. It would be naïve to only think about yourself, but the team has definitely developed the ability to showcase its own attributes. Nevertheless, it is also important to consider what convictions we share in order to ultimately defeat the opposition. That's why we want to approach every match with the aim of winning it."

At the age of just 41, Schuster already appears to be able to deal remarkably well with the stresses that come with management. "I feel pressure is a good thing because it challenges me and pushes me to tackle challenges head on and do everything that is required to complete a certain task," he continues.

"These are the first experiences I am picking up, and I'm very grateful that I'm able to experience such great moments so early in my career."

Despite the size of the game ahead, Schuster is adamant that he will not make major changes to his regular preparations.

"I always speak with my coaching staff during and after any game that we play and I try to ask as many questions as possible and learn from experienced colleagues. And what you hear or read from them is really about the art of approaching big games as routinely as possible.

"You have a tendency to want to cover everything, to get everything across that you can think of, and I think that is the big danger: that you lose some small levels [of energy] and that you end up overstimulating the boys.

"Even just the fact that we are sitting here together now shows that a lot of things in the build-up to this game are different from normal because of the magnitude of the match. There are things that are different and that makes it even more important to keep the build-up as routine as possible."

Schuster may be wisely trying to play things down, but there is no doubt that victory at Beşiktaş Park on Wednesday would further cement his place as a truly legendary figure at Freiburg and cap off what has been a remarkable start to his coaching career.

This interview was conducted on 11 May 2026.