Freiburg’s culture fuels Treu and Scherhant’s Germany breakthroughs
Philipp Treu and Derry Scherhant said Freiburg’s distinctive club culture and supportive environment were key to their recent Germany call‑ups, and highlighted how off‑pitch routines foster cohesion, under manager Julian Schuster.
At Wednesday’s DFB press conference in Herzogenaurach, the duo reflected on their development under Julian Schuster and praised the strong sense of community within the Bundesliga side.
Treu and Scherhant were among four Freiburg players to receive their first senior Germany call‑ups under Jürgen Klopp in September, alongside Max Rosenfelder and Yannik Engelhardt.
Both players subsequently made their senior international debuts and were retained in Klopp’s November squad for the Nations League fixtures against Serbia and the Netherlands.
Their rapid development mirrors Freiburg’s remarkable start to the Bundesliga campaign, with Schuster’s team establishing themselves among the leading sides in Germany’s top flight.
“Both of us are only sitting here as a result of our club Freiburg’s performance,” Treu replied when asked about his club’s form.
“In Freiburg, plenty of values are instilled in you. There’s a whole lot of things taking place off the pitch, beginning with punctuality and everyone eating in the same room together,” he added.
Off‑pitch traditions reinforce community
DFB press officer Franziska Wülle interjected to mention Freiburg’s famous ban on mobile‑phone use, a rule that dates back to Christian Streich’s tenure and remains a distinctive example of the club’s dressing‑room culture.
In a 2025 Eurosport interview, veteran Vincenzo Grifo confirmed the rule still applies under Schuster, prohibiting phones in the dressing room and during communal meals, with exceptions for family matters, and said it encourages players to talk to each other rather than stare at screens.
“These may seem like banal things, but we in Freiburg have an incredible sense of community,” Treu continued, noting that younger and older players may take divergent paths but the older ones give their all as the team plays every three days.
From academy to international stage
Schuster has repeatedly stressed preserving the collective spirit while integrating younger players and coping with the demands of multiple competitions, a hallmark of Freiburg’s stable and supportive dressing‑room reputation.
A 2026/27 Get German Football News Bundesliga tactical preview documented how Schuster successfully merged an increasingly competitive squad without disrupting the club’s established playing principles.
Philipp Treu, a product of the Freiburg academy, returned to the club in the summer of 2025 after two seasons with FC St. Pauli and has since become an important member of Schuster’s defensive unit.
Derry Scherhant arrived from Hertha BSC in 2025, gradually worked his way into the starting XI, delivered an impressive performance against Eintracht Frankfurt after his first Germany call‑up, and may soon play before his family in Berlin when Germany host the Netherlands on Monday.
Both players believe Freiburg’s positive working environment has allowed them to develop without the pressures they might face elsewhere, with Treu saying they feel comfortable and supported, and Scherhant describing the community as great and everyone pushing each other positively.