In the most successful phase of SC Freiburg's history, Kevin Schade switched to FC Brentford. Now a dream has come true for the 21-year-old with the nomination for the German national team.
Kevin Schade was nominated for the German national team for the first time
Kevin Schade left the training ground at the DFB campus in Frankfurt with a big smile on his face on the Main river. He had just completed his first training session with the German national team. Just under a year ago, this goal seemed a long way off.
“Of course you dream of the Champions League and the national team,” said Kevin Schade after SC Freiburg's game at Borussia Mönchengladbach in December 2021. Just a few minutes earlier, the then 20-year-old had scored his first assist and his first Bundesliga goal – in a memorable game: Freiburg had won 6-0. It was Schade's eleventh appearance in the team of coach Christian Streich, who had raised him from the club's U23 to the pros just a few months earlier. “But these are distant goals that I'm not currently working on,” said Schade at the time, looking to his future. “For me it's first and foremost about getting as much match practice as a young player.”
The 21-year-old hasn't played in the Champions League yet, the dream of the nomination for the German national team, however, has already been fulfilled. Schade is in the DFB squad for the first time for the international matches next Saturday in Mainz against Peru (kick-off at 20:45 CET) and on Tuesday in Cologne against Belgium (20:45 CEST).
His nomination is one of the biggest surprises in the squad of national coach Hansi Flick, who, however, had previously stated that he wanted to “use the time until the European Championships in his own country to test one or the other young player”. The positive news also came unexpectedly for Schade. “Of course I was surprised,” said the striker. “I had read a few rumours, but you can't rely on that. It's an absolute childhood dream for me, the highest thing there is.”
Freiburg was too successful
< p>Schade seems to have left a lasting good impression not only on Hansi Flick. In January, the DFB newcomer switched from SC Freiburg to FC Brentford in the English Premier League due to a lack of playing time, initially on loan. But why did Schade say goodbye during the most successful phase in the history of the Breisgau club, who reached the DFB Cup final and qualified for the Europa League?
Surprisingly, the youngster also mentions the enormous success of Freiburg as a reason for the change. “Ironically,” said Schade in an interview with “Kicker” magazine: “For me personally, it wasn't good after my injury because we didn't train much in the English weeks. I played less, sometimes not at all. The first Elf worked very well, it was difficult for me. But I'm young and need time to play and train, that was the deciding factor.”
Injuries kept throwing the speedy striker back
The 21-year-old only played 29 games in a year and a half at SC Freiburg, and he was never able to establish himself in the starting XI. Injuries kept throwing him back, especially when he was well on his way to getting a regular place. Last November, in the second leg against Karabakh Agdam in the group stage of the Europa League, Schade suffered one of his greatest strengths: his speed. In the 2021/22 season, together with Alphonso Davies from FC Bayern Munich, he was the second fastest Bundesliga professional of the season with a top speed of 36.37 kilometers per hour. Only former Mainzer Jeremiah St. Juste was faster at 36.63 kilometers per hour.
Schade was too fast for his opponents against Karabakh. Twice within a few seconds he was rudely thrown off his feet. The consequences: a red card for his opponent Kevin Medina and another injury-related substitution for Schade, who had just fought back after a long period of suffering. On the 25th matchday of the 2021/22 season, the technically strong striker was injured while warming up. What initially looked like a harmless strain later turned out to be a torn abdominal muscle with almost 200 days of downtime. The chance of a regular place was again a long way off.
Prank: “They don't know what to do with the money”
Schade grew up in the Brandenburg capital of Potsdam, the son of a Nigerian father and a German mother. He played the first years of his career with his “home club” SV Babelsberg before moving to the youth team at Energie Cottbus, where he spent four years. “I still have good contacts to Babelsberg and Cottbus,” said Schade. “I still have two or three friends everywhere and still meet people when I drive home.”
Kevin Schade (r.) played for Energie Cottbus in his youth
< p>The step to SC Freiburg followed for Schade in the U19s – also because Christian Streich saw enormous qualities in him. The Freiburg coach was therefore anything but impressed by the striker's change and couldn't resist a small tip against Brentford and English football. “We would have preferred to have taken the money and Kevin would still be here, but that's not possible,” said Streich after the transfer was completed. “The English really wanted him. They sometimes don't know where to put all the money.”
Schade has been able to meet expectations at the west London club since moving, although he is not yet a regular player at his new club. So far he has only played 187 minutes in eight games and only five shots on goal. Schade has not yet scored a goal. Nonetheless, he flashed his immense talent in one-on-one situations and drew enthusiastic murmurs from Brentford fans. Like Freiburg, “The Bees” (the bees), as the players of FC Brentford are called, are having a surprisingly successful season. Schade does not regret the change: “The style of play in England just suits me better. But I need a little more time to get there. I was injured for a long time.”
Brentford pays record fee
The club will probably give Schade the necessary time to develop and establish himself there. Brentford wanted to sign him as early as 2022, but Schade refused at the time. The tenacity of the club and the challenges of the Premier League convinced the offensive player. It has long been an open secret that the Premier League club will take the option to sign Schade for a transfer fee of €25m. The follow-up contract until 2028 is said to have already been negotiated.
Kevin Schade has found a new home in Brentford
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It would be a record transfer for Brentford. The club is usually better known for signing players who play in the lower leagues or are not regulars in Premier League rivals. “Brentford is similar to Freiburg,” said Schade. “It's all very informal, everyone welcomed me.” Maybe the small town in west London is just the right environment for him to finally get off to a flying start. The footballer only has to work on the language. “It was a bit more difficult with English at the beginning, and I still don't understand some things,” admits Schade. Only to add with a smile, “But it's getting better.”