Before the Bundesliga season finale, coach Christian Streich from SC Freiburg criticized the busy schedule in professional football – especially for players with international assignments.

"60 to 70 competitive games in one season is absolutely crazy," said Streich on Thursday.

You could also see that in national player Matthias Ginter, whose return from Borussia Mönchengladbach to his training club Freiburg for the new season was announced on Wednesday.

Streich is looking forward to Ginter

Lately you've "noticed that he was tired, that things were difficult for him," said the SC coach about the 28-year-old.

"We have to see that he gets fit again, mentally and physically."

Streich is "madly" happy about Ginter's return, but doesn't see him as a one-to-one replacement for Nico Schlotterbeck, who will move to Borussia Dortmund after the season.

One is left-footed, the other right-footed, and they are very different types.

"Nico is a bright, happy person, he did us a lot of good," explained the coach.

He is sure that Schlotterbeck will "tear apart in the last few games, that we will have maximum success".

Freiburg is fourth in the table before the game against Union Berlin on Saturday (3.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) on course for the Champions League.

Streich doesn't want to waste any thought on the table situation in the final spurt of the season.

"The starting position seems good," said Streich: "To deal with it before the game makes me nervous.

You have nothing and talk about things that seem easy.

These are things that lead you down the wrong path.

And I don't want to be nervous, I want to be relaxed."

Despite fourth place in the table and having entered the Champions League, he has not noticed any changes in his team either.

With a draw on Saturday, at least the Europa League would already be fixed.

"What do I care about any fantasies," Streich explained: "Afterwards it goes in the other direction.

You can't imagine how bad a mood I get when I've imagined something working and then it doesn't.

I don't want to confront other people with that."

In addition, his team with Union "has a big, thick board to drill," said the longest-serving coach in the league: "Your discipline and order against the ball is extremely difficult to play on." While central defender Manuel Gulde returns to the squad, the Kevin Schade's season has already ended due to a persistent abdominal muscle injury.

The U21 national player, who has been missing for two months, may even face an operation.