Schuster cites Merlin Röhl to stress Freiburg’s elite locker‑room culture ahead of Schalke clash

SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster used former midfielder Merlin Röhl’s recent interview to underline the strength of the club’s internal atmosphere as the Breisgau side prepares to host Schalke 04 on Sunday. Schuster said the break gave him time to read former players’ remarks and noted, “It’s often the case that, once you no longer have something, you realise what you’re missing,” before adding that Freiburg’s locker room is built on “special characters” and a shared commitment to protect that environment.

The coach’s comments came after Röhl, now at Everton, spoke publicly about the cultural adjustments required after leaving Freiburg. Schuster turned the discussion into a broader endorsement of the current squad, echoing teammate Maximilian Eggestein’s recent praise of the team’s unity. “In that respect, we’re definitely a top team. And we have to preserve and protect our top locker‑room atmosphere,” he asserted.

Freiburg’s on‑field results have mirrored the off‑field harmony. The club entered the international break with ten points from four Bundesliga matches – a new club record for the opening stage of a season – and had already netted twelve goals, nine of them at home. Japanese forward Yuito Suzuki has contributed four goals, matching his total from the entire previous campaign, while left‑back Jordy Makengo supplied four assists in his last five games after a long goalless spell.

Schuster also highlighted the growing competition within the squad, noting that the club’s development model, external recruitment and retention of key players have raised the bar for academy graduates. The 25th anniversary of the Freiburg Fußballschule was celebrated during the break, and several U23 players trained with the first team, though the upcoming Conference League fixtures will tighten training windows.

Turning to the upcoming opponent, Schuster warned against complacency, praising Schalke’s collective defensive work and “100 percent conviction” in recent performances, including a goalless draw with Bayern Munich. He stressed that the promoted side can be dangerous on the break and from set pieces, and that Freiburg must not assume another high‑scoring outing will come automatically.

Historically, Freiburg holds an unbeaten run over Schalke in the last eight meetings, winning six and keeping seven clean sheets. Only Bruno Ogbus (muscular problems) and Berkay Yilmaz (dental surgery) are doubtful, while all internationals have returned fit, giving Schuster a full squad to build on the record start.

With confidence in both the squad’s quality and its cohesive locker‑room culture, Schuster concluded that Freiburg have “plenty worth protecting” as they look to extend their early‑season momentum into the next Bundesliga round and the forthcoming European campaign.