SC Freiburg: Perfect break for Nils Petersen – football god “forever”

Praise and recognition from all sides

They don’t need a new football god after Nils Petersen at SC Freiburg. “That can remain the Nile forever. That suits everyone. He absolutely deserves that,” said captain Christian Günter about the soon-to-be ex-pro, who delighted everyone again with a goal in the 2-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg. And anyone who saw the touching scenes with the fans on Friday evening knows what Günter means: Petersen is one of them. After his last home game, the 34-year-old waved a huge flag with his name on it, drank large gulps from a tankard on the fence and whipped up the big European Cup party with a megaphone.

“If I had to write a screenplay, it would have been exactly like that. Everything should be like this today. I’m unbelievably grateful,” said Petersen, who beamed through the interior of the arena until shortly before midnight and gave interview after interview in complete relaxation. The basses were already booming loudly from the dressing room, the colleagues were waiting longingly for the hero of the evening, who once again lived up to his reputation as the most successful joker in the Bundesliga.

Another goal was subsequently denied to Petersen. “After the second goal I thought, now there’s another contract offer coming in,” he joked after the final whistle on “DAZN”. The evening should not end with the celebrations in the stadium. “My friends still come to my house. I haven’t planned anything else. I didn’t know it was going so well. I won’t go to bed for the next three hours,” said Petersen, who even a few journalists asked for a photo together as a souvenir. He happily fulfilled wish after wish.

But even one game before retirement, the ex-national player didn’t forget his duty the following day. And that was: 11 a.m. training. “It was a cyclist, at least I can train tomorrow,” said Petersen. His trainer Christian Streich, all teammates and even the Wolfsburg opponents around Niko Kovac and Maximilian Arnold meanwhile bowed to a really great athlete, who will make the change from grass to curves this summer.

SC Freiburg coach Streich: Petersen is a role model for all players

“All players should take Nils as an example. He is a role model. It’s not always just the one way there is. All this is no coincidence. Everyone loves Nils,” said Streich about Petersen, who, after a complicated sporting month, still scored his first goal of the season – and that on matchday 33 in the fight for Freiburg’s participation in the Champions League for the first time. Petersen and Jonathan Schmid were given an emotional farewell even before the kick-off, but the scenery only became really cheesy with the events in the game.

“You can’t write it any better than Nils making the decisive 2-0. Nils and Jonny are two outstanding personalities who have carried us a little way. I’m really happy about that,” said Günter. The captain had come off the bench for the first time since 2017 in a Bundesliga game and scored the important 1-0. But even that became secondary. Also because there was more to praise at Petersen than just the sporting performance. “The recognition is entirely justified. Nils was loyal to the club for years, he could definitely have accepted another offer,” said Günter.

Streich paid tribute to his long-time protégé in his own way. First he finished with the words “Can I stop now. Everyone go to the Nile. Thank you very much” the own press conference before questions were possible. Then, in a smaller group, he raved for minutes about the footballer, whom he would still be able to score joker goals in five years and without much training. “Nils’s cleverness and technique are unbelievable. He almost always makes the right decisions,” said Streich.

But Petersen’s decision stands, even in the event of a Champions League qualification, he will stop. “As a fan, I also hope that in five years I won’t be needed anymore. That would be sad,” says Petersen. “After the game you can say again, man, why? Sometimes you should stop when it’s most beautiful.” The farewell, the last home game, a goal out of nowhere and then the huge affection from the ranks of the fans: Petersen couldn’t really realize all of that. “It was all too much anyway. The evening couldn’t have been more beautiful. It makes me most proud that I left something,” he summarized.

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— SC Freiburg (@scfreiburg) May 19, 2023

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