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SC Freiburg duo Philipp Treu and Derry Scherhant have credited their club’s unique team culture and supportive environment for helping them establish themselves in the German national team. Speaking at Wednesday’s DFB press conference in Herzogenaurach, the two Freiburg players reflected on their development under Julian Schuster and emphasised the importance of the strong sense of community within the Bundesliga club.
Treu and Scherhant were among four Freiburg players to receive their first senior Germany call-ups under Jürgen Klopp in September, alongside Max Rosenfelder and Yannik Engelhardt. Both players subsequently made their senior international debuts and were retained in Klopp’s November squad for the forthcoming Nations League fixtures against Serbia and the Netherlands.
The pair’s rapid development reflects Freiburg’s remarkable start to the Bundesliga campaign, with Schuster’s team establishing themselves among the leading sides in Germany’s top flight.
“Both of us are only sitting here as a result of our club Freiburg’s performance,” Treu responded when asked to comment on his club’s form. “In Freiburg, plenty of values are instilled in you. There’s a whole lot of things taking place off the pitch. It begins with things like punctuality and everyone eating in the same room together.”
The subject of Freiburg’s off-pitch standards prompted an amusing intervention from DFB press officer Franziska Wülle, who brought up the club’s famous ban on mobile phone use while Treu was discussing the importance of shared routines. The rule dates back to Christian Streich’s tenure and remains one of the more distinctive examples of Freiburg’s approach to dressing-room culture.
In a 2025 interview with Eurosport, Freiburg veteran Vincenzo Grifo confirmed that Streich’s rule remained in place under Schuster. Players were prohibited from using their phones in the dressing room and during communal meals, with exceptions permitted for family matters. Grifo explained that he appreciated the restriction because it encouraged players to speak to one another and exchange personal stories rather than spend their time looking at screens.
The longstanding practice provides a fitting illustration of the communal values Treu was discussing.
“These may seem like banal things, but we in Freiburg have an incredible sense of community,” Treu continued. “It seems a bit as if the younger ones and older ones are taking divergent paths, but the older ones aren’t just sitting around. Quite the opposite. They’re giving their all as we play every three days.”
Treu and Scherhant highlight SC Freiburg’s supportive environment
Freiburg’s reputation for maintaining a stable and supportive dressing room has long been one of the club’s defining characteristics. Schuster has repeatedly emphasised the importance of preserving the team’s collective spirit, particularly as Freiburg have continued integrating younger players and managing the demands of competing in multiple competitions.
Our 2026/27 Get German Football News Bundesliga tactical preview of SC Freiburg documented how Schuster successfully integrated an increasingly competitive squad without disrupting the team’s established playing principles.
Treu’s development provides one example. The Freiburg academy product returned to the club in the summer of 2025 following two successful seasons with FC St. Pauli and subsequently established himself as an important member of Schuster’s defensive unit.
Scherhant, meanwhile, arrived from Hertha BSC in 2025 and gradually worked his way into the starting XI. The 24-year-old’s progress accelerated considerably this season, with a particularly impressive performance against Eintracht Frankfurt following his first Germany call-up.
Scherhant’s remarkable rise may soon afford him the opportunity to play before family members in his native Berlin, in the very same stadium in which he made his debut for hometown club Hertha BSC when Germany host the Netherlands on Monday.
Scherhant radiated glee as he discussed the prospect when directly questioned about his homecoming. Treu, meanwhile, reiterated that he continued to take on his responsibility of following some of Germany’s greatest right backs with the utmost enthusiasm.
Both players believe Freiburg’s positive working environment has enabled them to develop without the pressures they might encounter elsewhere.
“I think both of us feel very comfortable in Freiburg and can do our work in peace there,” Treu concluded. “We can both do our thing. In contrast to other clubs, where our recent three-match losing streak would have created pressure, in Freiburg we were believed in. We were supported with positivity.”
“It’s a great community there in Freiburg, and I was personally well received,” Scherhant added. “Everyone pushes each other, and we remain positive.”
The two internationals’ assessments underline the importance of Freiburg’s collective approach to squad development. Both players have benefited from the confidence placed in them by Schuster, while their contributions have helped Freiburg maintain their competitive position in the Bundesliga.
Their performances have also been rewarded at international level, with Treu and Scherhant now hoping to build on their encouraging beginnings under Klopp as Germany prepare for their final two Nations League fixtures of 2026.
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