Great honor for Christian Streich: The coach of the Bundesliga soccer club SC Freiburg has been awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
The 57-year-old and 22 other personalities were honored by Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) in Mannheim on Saturday “for outstanding services to the state of Baden-Württemberg and its people,” according to a statement.
Streich is the longest-serving coach in the Bundesliga. The 57-year-old has worked for the sports club since 1995 and has been the Freiburg head coach since December 2011. Last season he led SC to the final of the DFB Cup and the Europa League. Streich is considered a popular figure in professional football, and he also repeatedly comments on political and social issues.