Matthias Ginter returns to SC Freiburg

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Matthias Ginter at the EM 2021

Photo: Matthias Hangst / POOL / EPA

National soccer player Matthias Ginter is returning to SC Freiburg, for which he had already played until 2014.

Since the 28-year-old's contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach expires in the summer, the central defender is free of charge.

At the Champions League aspirants Freiburg, he replaces Nico Schlotterbeck, who is reportedly going to Borussia Dortmund for a transfer fee of 20 million euros.

"I wanted to do something very special again in my career and there is nothing more special for me than returning to the sports club and my home country," the 2014 world champion is quoted as saying in a club statement.

The defender has played 46 international matches so far.

In 2016 he won silver with the German Olympic team at the games in Rio de Janeiro.

One of his teammates at the time: Freiburg's veteran Nils Petersen.

In Freiburg, "the overall package fits perfectly," Ginter explained his step: "The development of the entire club, the potential of the team and the special way of communicating with the club officials in the past few weeks - you can find all of this in my home country describe as a godsend these days.«

Professional debut at SC Freiburg

Ginter came to the Freiburg football school when he was a junior.

At SCF he went through all youth teams and made his professional debut in January 2012 at the age of 18.

Even then, Christian Streich was his coach.

Streich retrained Ginter from midfielder to central defender.

Now the two meet again.

In total, Ginter has played 81 competitive games in the Freiburg jersey before he also went to BVB in 2014.

"We never broke off contact with Matze and he always had a connection to his homeland, both geographically and in terms of sport," said sporting director Klemens Hartenbach: "Matze can give our defense stability and his football skills can also do us good in opening the game."

After his return, Ginter will wear the shirt number 28 with Freiburg, who are fourth in the Champions League two games before the end of the season and will face RB Leipzig in the final of the DFB Cup.

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