New Freiburg record-holder Christian Günter speaks on buying free drinks for stadium crowd | OneFootball

As SC Freiburg captain Christian Günter neared the all-time club record of 441 appearances, teammate and fellow “club man” Vincenzo Grifo spoke on toasting his friend with a glass on wine. Günter himself had something much grander in mind. Supporters of the Schwarzwaldverein were treated to 5,440 liters of free drinks during their Sunday Bundesliga fixture against FC St. Pauli. 

Günter – after buying the collective “round” – was honored before kickoff and permitted by SCF head coach Julian Schuster to feature in the starting XI. The 32-year-old played a rather inconspicuous 57 minutes, exiting proceedings with his team leading 2-0. Freiburg nearly ended up blowing the lead, but ultimately secured a 2-1 victory for their captain. 

“Psychologically, football can be hard if you feel as if you have something to lose,” Günter said of his team’s late struggles in the mixed zone. “[but the fact that the team still preserved the win] makes me extremely proud and happy. There’s nothing better than playing for this club.“

“I‘m extremely grateful to many people and [most especially] to the fans,” Günter said of the free round of drinks. “I’ll never be able to repay them, but at least I can try with a small gesture.“

Günter – a native of the BaWü city of Villingen-Schwenningen – joined the Freiburg academy in 2006 and has never represented another club. Günter’s hometown has produced plenty of footballers.

Most talented youngsters either gravitate toward Freiburg or Stuttgart. Günter got a special chance to celebrate with the fans of the club he chose by leading the post-match cheers in front of the Kurve. 

“When I first came up as a young player, there were definitely some who thought, ‘oh lad, what are you thinking for God’s sake’?” Günter said afterwards. “But then I really got stuck in and the fans supported me. They always stood behind me and my family.“

“It was quite the gesture,” Schuster also added at the post-match press conference. “And he shared a lot of personal things during an emotional team talk in the locker room. There were great words. He’s a great captain and a wonderful person.“

GGFN | Peter Weis