Christian Günter Approaches SC Freiburg Milestone as Team Celebrates Europa League Victory

SC Freiburg commemorated a significant victory in the Europa League on Thursday night.

However, one player looking to celebrate a personal milestone will need to wait a bit longer. Squad captain Christian Günter, aged 32, remained on the bench for the second consecutive match. He is nearing a club record that would see him surpass Andreas Zeyer as the player with the most appearances in the club’s history.

Freiburg’s head coach, Julian Schuster, has increasingly turned to young talent Jordy Makengo to fill the right back position, leaving Günter sidelined. Having progressed through the Freiburg ranks and never representing another team since his professional debut, Günter is just one appearance away from achieving this remarkable feat.

Günter has been with the SC Freiburg academy since 2007 and made his senior debut in December 2012. Since then, he has accumulated an impressive total of 441 appearances for the club. Freiburg is set to recognize him as the all-time appearance leader once he steps onto the pitch again, including one appearance in the 3. Liga.

Günter will surpass midfielder Andreas Zeyer, who also recorded 441 appearances during two stints with the club from the 1980s through the 2000s. His teammate, Vincenzo Grifo, who ranks second in the club’s all-time records behind legendary goal-scorer Nils Petersen, expressed hope that they could celebrate this milestone after Sunday’s Bundesliga match against St. Pauli.

“I hope he can celebrate on Sunday,” Grifo remarked about his close friend. “If he asks me to and wants to share a glass of wine in the evening, then I’ll have two sips.”