“I want to take the next step as a player, and now I can do that here too.” – Philipp Lienhart

After qualifying for the Europa League for a second consecutive season, Freiburg will be looking to build upon their recent success. However, while some key performers have decided to venture for pastures new, Austrian defender Philipp Lienhart decided to stay; signing a new deal at the club.

Speaking to Bild for the first time since his renewal in the Black Forest, Lienhart would explain the reasons as to why he elected against a move away:

“I still have the feeling that I can get better here. I feel very connected to the club, the coaches and the team. Everything was right, that’s why I’m staying,” said Lienhart. The 27-year-old has developed into one of the Bundesliga’s most consistent centre-backs under the guidance of Christian Streich.

Lienhart would then reveal that the Freiburg head coach was not even aware of his decision. “It went very quickly from my decision to the signature, so, I couldn’t tell him personally. Luckily he found out quickly.”

“My family and girlfriend encouraged me in this decision. They just notice how good I feel in Freiburg and know that that’s exactly what I need to reach my potential. In the end, that was the decisive factor,” explained Lienhart. Nevertheless, the Austrian international certainly had to consider his decision. 

Lienhart had been aware of interest from Spanish sides, and a return back to the country he was originally developed in – as a product of the Real Madrid academy – had been on his mind. Combined with Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen showing their intent alongside Premier League sides, it was not a choice that came easy to the defender. 

However, he would explain how a move away from the Black Forest is not necessarily a step up anymore:

“Of course that speaks for the club, as I have developed, so has the club in recent years. I want to take the next step as a player, and now I can do that here too. A contract is there to bind you to the club, I did that with full conviction. We all want to build on the last two years and have got a taste for it. But a few things have to fit together for that to happen.”

A fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga for Freiburg should be considered a remarkable as a remarkable overachievement. Nonetheless, with how the club have performed in the last two campaigns, it would be no surprise if the Breisgau establish themselves as a top side in the Bundesliga for years to come.

GGFN | Will Shopland