SC FREIBURG II
UPDATED FOR 2024/25 - SEPT 2024
Founded: May 30, 1904
Club Members: 70,000
Nickname: Breisgau-Brasilianer
Coach: Benedetto Muzzicato
Captain: Patrick Lienhard
Regionalliga Südwest: 1
Landespokal Südbaden Winner: 1
Website: www.scfreiburg.com
SC Freiburg's U-23 team started out as 'SC Freiburg Amateure' and success of any kind has been a long time coming as they've spent the majority of their history as an unspectacular performer in the local amateur leagues. It wasn't until 1998 before they claimed their first honours - winning the fourth-tier Verbandsliga Südbaden which earned them promotion to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg where they established themselves as a top-half of the table side over the next decade.
A Südbadischer Pokal (regional cup) win in 2001 saw them qualify for the first round of the national 2001-02 DFB-Pokal where they faced Bundesliga giants and eventual winners 1.FC Schalke 04 who prevailed with a narrow 1-0 win. In 2005, in accordance with an instruction from the DFL (German Football League) that all reserve sides of Bundesliga clubs had to replace 'Amateure ' with the Roman numeral 'II ', after becoming 'SC Freiburg II', the side won promotion to the Regionalliga Süd by claiming the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg title in 2008. They played at this level for four seasons before a league restructure saw them join clubs from the states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland in the new Regionalliga Südwest in 2012.
Building on a respectable seventh-place finish in the league's inaugural season, Freiburg II ended the 2013-14 campaign as runners-up but, having chosen not to apply for a 3.Liga licence, their place in the promotion play-offs was taken instead by 1.FSV Mainz 05 II who secured their place in the third-tier by beating Regionalliga Nordost champions TSG Neustrelitz 5-1 on aggregate.
Back in the Black Forest however, performances had begun to tail off and Freiburg II dropped into the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg in 2016 before immediately bouncing back the following season by winning the title. After four seasons in the fourth-tier, Freiburg II won promotion to the 3.Liga for the first time after a 1-1 draw at SV Elversberg secured the Regionalliga Südwest title in 2020-21. After three seasons in the third tier however, the Breisgau-Brasilianer were relegated back to the Regionalliga Süd where they ply their trade today.
Video used with the kind permission of Stadiums From The Sky
- Drone Footage of Stadiums All Over The World
GROUND DETAILS
Ground Name: Dreisamstadion
Year Opened: 1954
Capacity: 24,000 (10,000 standing)
Wheelchair Spaces: 57
Undersoil Heating: Yes
Running Track: No
Floodlights: 1,200 lux
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Pitch Size: 100m x 68m
Grounds:
Winterer Stadion (1928 - 1936)
SC Platz (1954 - 1967)
Dreisamstadion (1967 - 2004) *
Badenova Stadion (2004 - 2011) *
MAGE Solar Stadion (2011 - 2014) *
Schwarzwald Stadion (2014 - 2021) *
Dreisamstadion (2021 - ) *
* Stadium Renamed
Following their promotion to the 3.Liga last season, SC Freiburg II left their Möslestadion home and moved into the Dreisamstadion and became sole occupants when the club's senior squad made their own much-delayed move to the new Europa Park Stadion.
With its riverside setting in a quiet residential area, the Dreisamstadion has been SC Freiburg's home since 1954 when it opened as SC Platz; and the patchwork nature of its development over the years and dramatic forest backdrop gives the ground some real character.
Long before 'stadium naming rights' became part and parcel of football, the ground was known for many years as the Dreisamstadion after the river that runs behind it, and it wasn't until 1970 that it saw its first expansion with the construction of the Sudtribune (South Stand). Following the club's promotion to Bundesliga.2, the Haupttribune (Main Stand) was built in 1980 and the addition of its 1800 seats brought the overall stadium capacity up to 15,000. Further works saw renovation and expansion of the Nord and Sud Tribunes (North and South Stands) as the stadium played catch-up with the club's continued on-field success.
The result was a 24,500 capacity pure football venue with four distinct stands, which have a slightly temporary look about them, set tight around the pitch. The Nord Tribune (North Stand) is the smallest of the four and is where Freiburg's most vocal following gather on matchdays. The opposite Sudtribune (South Stand) which backs onto Schwarzwaldstraße is the only two-tier stand in the ground and has terracing on the lower tier with seats above. It's also the only non-cantilevered stand with pillars supporting the roof and is partially reserved for away fans. Perhaps as an indication of the Dreisamstadion's struggle to keep pace with the demands of Bundesliga football in the 21st Century, the Haupttribune (Main Stand) is the only part of the ground to have any corporate facilities and a VIP block, built in 2004, dominates the north-west corner of the stadium.
Although it may lack many of the brave new world stadia facilities found elsewhere, the Dreisamstadion was way ahead of the game 25 years ago when Freiburg's position as Germany's sunniest city was used to make it the country's first solar powered stadium. Today, 2,200 m² of photovoltaic solar panels installed on the roof produces the majority of the stadium's energy requirements including the undersoil heating system.
As Freiburg's fans got used to their club taking on the likes of Bayern, Dortmund and Gladbach; the stadium was long considered too small to cope with the demand. Indeed, its pitch (which has a steep declivity and slopes a full metre from south to north) is five metres too short to meet UEFA guidelines and it meant that special authorisation had to be sought to play European matches here. With its setting amongst tight residential streets and the narrow Dreisam River running close by, it meant that further expansion wasn't a viable option and in 2015, following a consultation and referendum, it was announced that Freiburg would be on the move to a new home located right next to the municipal airport in the Wolfswinkel district of the city.
Delays in construction brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the project ended up months behind schedule and it wasn't until October 2021 that the club's senior squad finally moved into their new Europa Park Stadion home, leaving 'Amateure' in the Dreisamstadion and fans with the opportunity to continue experiencing one of Germany's most iconic grounds.
BUYING TICKETS
Ticket Office:
Website: www.u23-scfreiburg.reservix.de
Telephone: +49 (0) 761 88849996
Email: karten@scfreiburg.com
Average Attendance:
2023-2024: 2,334 (3.Liga)
2022-2023: 2,616 (3.Liga)
2021-2022: 2,361 (3.Liga) *
2020-2021: N/A *
2019-2020: 507 (Regionalliga Südwest) *
* Season affected by COVID pandemic
Expected Ticket Availability
Regardless of whether they're playing in 3.Liga or Regionalliga, Freiburg II aren't going to come close to selling-out the 24,500 capacity Dreisamstadion. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the online ticket shop run by the club's ticketing partner Reservix or (for an additional booking fee) by speaking clearly and slowly over the phone on +49 (0) 761 88849996 (9am-6pm, Mon-Fri).
Tickets are sent in a Print@Home format and in order to use the ticket on public transport in the
Regio-Verkehrsverbund Freiburg GmbH (RVF) area, it must be 'personalised' by the ticket holder (first and last names) at the time of booking. Carry some form of photo ID with you as well in case ticket inspectors want to confirm that you are who you say you are !
For an extra €2, you can keep things traditional by presenting yourself at the box office which opens 90 minutes before kick-off.
Important: Print@Home tickets must be printed because you'll be turned away if you try to get in using a mobile phone - and there's no possibility of being able to print it out at the stadium.
Given the modest crowds watching Freiburg's U-23's, only the Haupttribüne and Nordtribüne are open on a matchday. It costs full-payers €13-€18 to sit in the Haupttribüne (Blocks A-C) and €8 to watch the action from the Nordtribüne terrace. Discounts are available for senior citizens, children (aged 6-13 years old), students, disable people, unemployed etc. Fans who are under the age of 6 years old and accompanied by an adult with a match ticket are let in free of charge - although they're not entitled to a seat of their own and must sit on someone's lap. Family tickets are also available and they cost €10 per adult and €8 for each child (aged 6-13 years).
Information about visiting the Dreisamstadion for fans with disabilities can be found at:
www.bundesliga-reisefuehrer.de
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Stadium Address:
Schwarzwaldstraße 193
79117 Freiburg in Breisgau
BY CAR:
Coming from the north or south along the A5, exit at the 'Freiburg-Mitte' junction and head in the direction of Donaueschingen along the B31 following signs for Ebnet and Littenweiler/Stadion. Don't make the mistake of turning into the B31 Schützenalle Tunnel but keep left along Schwarzwaldstraße and the stadium will appear after a mile on your left. If you're heading from the Black Forest in the east, leave the B31 at the Littenweiler/Stadion exit. Bear in mind that due to the fact that the ground is hemmed in by the River Dreisam on one side, an adjoining sports club on another, and Schwarzwaldstraße and the surrounding streets are closed off to non-residents from three hours before kick-off on matchdays, you're not going to be able to park at the ground. Your best bet therefore is to use the nearby Pädagogische Hochschule (Kunzenweg 21, 79117 Freiburg im Breisgau) from where it's just a short stroll to the turnstiles.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Match ticket holders can use public transport on matchdays anywhere within the
Regio-Verkehrsverbund Freiburg GmbH (RVF) transport area free of charge from three hours prior to kick-off until 3:00am the following day. From the Hauptbahnhof, Stadttheater or Bertoldsbrunnen stops, jump on Tram 1 (Direction: Stadion or Littenweiler), hop off at Römerhof ("Stadion" is announced) and simply follow the fans making their way down leafy Fritz-Geiges Straße and the adjacent residential streets to the ground. Another option is to take the scenic Höllentalbahn which runs between Freiburg and Donaueschingen. Jump off at the Littenweiler stop, walk down Lindenmattenstraße / Heinrich Heine Straße, turn left at the junction with Schwarzwaldstraße and you'll see the ground on your right.
WALKING DIRECTIONS:
It's quite straightforward to reach the Schwarzwald Stadion on foot although the walk will take you the best part of an hour to cover the two mile route from the city centre. Come out of the Hauptbahnhof, turn right and head onto Bertoldstraße. Follow this road as it winds gradually to the right through the city centre becoming Salzstraße, Oberlinden and Schwabentorring. Keep going along Schwabentorring until it passes under the Schwabentor city gate and reaches the bridge over the River Dreisam. Turn left and follow Leo Wohleb Straße over the river until it becomes Schwarzwaldstraße and lead you directly to the stadium.
FAN SHOP, MUSEUM & STADIUM TOURS
FAN SHOP:
You can pick up all your SC Freiburg 'fan artikels' from the main fan shop at the Dreisamstadion (9am-6pm, Mon-Fri; 10am-2pm Sat; 10am until kick-off and for one hour after full-time on home matchdays; tel: +49 (0) 761 38551611 - Note that the Dreisamstadion fan shop is closed when the first team are playing at the Europa Park Stadion)
Europa Park Stadion (Achim-Stocker-Straße 1, 79108 Freiburg im Breisgau; 9am-6pm, Mon-Fri; 10am-2pm Sat; 10am until kick-off and for one hour after full-time on home matchdays; tel: +49 (0) 761 38551211)
There's also a fan shop in the centre of Freiburg to save you trekking out to the ground at:
Rathausgasse (Rathausgasse 15, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau (9am-6pm, Mon-Sat; tel: +49 (0) 761 38551610)
(For all outlets): Email: fanshop@scfreiburg.com
MUSEUM:
Although the club don't have a 'museum' as such, they do have an online version exhibiting posters, fanzines, match programmes, photos etc which date back to the 1917-18 season. Visit it here.
FOOD & DRINK OPTIONS
With the stadium slap bang in the middle of a residential area, places offering up pre-match food and drinks are a bit thin on the ground. Many fans therefore have their fill in the restaurants, bars and cafes of Frieburg's beautiful Altstadt instead before heading to the ground.
If you don't fancy cramming onto trams packed with Freiburgers heading to the Schwarzwald in the hour leading up to kick-off, join the pre-match party held at the sports ground behind the Westtribune (West Stand) from three hours before kick-off. Alternatively, head round to the supporter's ZapfleHutte Bar by the turnstiles at the north and east stands. In and around the ground you'll also find purveyors of various würst and other typical matchday fayre and you can watch the game with a few pints of Rothaus - the official stadium beer. Payment for your 'Bratwurst & Beer' pairing can made using old fashioned simple cash.
OTHER CLUBS IN THE AREA
BUNDESLIGA: 1.FC Heidenheim, SC Freiburg, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, VfB Stuttgart
BUNDESLIGA 2: Karlsruher SC, SSV Ulm
3.LIGA: SV Sandhausen, VfB Stuttgart II