Freiburg's cult coach raves about his first encounter with Amir Abrashi in a video message. Admir Mehmedi and Roman Kilchsperger are also emotional afterwards in the football talk show Heimspiel.
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- Former Freiburg professionals Amir Abrashi and Admir Mehmedi are guests on the football talk show Heimspiel together with GC fan Roman Kilchsperger.
- In a video message, former Freiburg coach Christian Streich raves about Abrashi. The current Hoppers captain made a deep impression on the cult coach when they first met.
At the beginning of January 2012, assistant coach Christian Streich became head coach at Freiburg. And the man, who had previously been largely unknown to the public and had successfully coached youth teams at the club for 17 years, impressed with his refreshing and charming manner from day one in the Bundesliga. After three and a half years full of euphoria, however, the Breisgau team had to return to the second tier.
Amir Abrashi was supposed to help with the mission to regain promotion. After five years and over 150 competitive matches for GC, the midfield fighter was ready for a new challenge. In the football talk show Heimspiel, Streich recalls his first meeting with the then 25-year-old in a video message.
Even Mehmedi gets goosebumps
"Dear Amir, do you remember back then - on Saturday we were relegated in Hanover. You weren't with us yet and I was allowed to meet you the other day for a chat. I was very, very crestfallen and very, very sad."
"When we met at the rest stop in Switzerland - we went on vacation afterwards - you gave me such a boost and said after the interview: 'Coach, I'm going to Freiburg straight away and sign the contract'. And when I left the rest stop, the sun rose again," Streich recounts with his unmistakable Baden accent.
Streich emphasizes: "I'll never forget that. And that's exactly how it was with you afterwards, Amir. When you played for us. You fought, you played, you applied yourself. That was an experience. For me it was ... how can I put it - impressive. It has burned itself into me."
Admir Mehmedi, who campaigned hard for his childhood friend Streich in the run-up to the game (he himself moved from Freiburg to Bayer Leverkusen after relegation), confessed after the story: "Even I have goosebumps."
Abrashi: "Mr. Streich came into the service area completely broken"
Abrashi can still remember the scene clearly: "Mr. Streich came into the My-Stop service station in Affoltern am Albis completely broken. I was excited and curious to see what he was like. It was a great conversation."
Streich's then girlfriend and now wife was also at the meeting with their son and told him afterwards how she had told her partner that she didn't know how Abrashi played football, but that he had to take him because he was so energetic, Abrashi recounts his special transfer story.
Kilchsperger can only agree with Streich's statements: "You are an experience when people see you, with all your energy and enthusiasm. It's simply infectious." He can imagine exactly how the scene played out in this highway rest area, says the GC-Edelfan. Kilchsperger is therefore certain: "Even Zurich fans probably still think that's a good guy.
