In the same July week, in which the German Football League published the Bundesliga schedule for the current season, Jan-Niklas moved the best from the Swabian Ostalb to Lisbon to play with Benfica in the Champions League. The German coach Roger Schmidt, which was employed there, had to sign him. The contract details also indicated where the best young career should go in the future: eight million euros transfer plus bonuses, contract term five years. Then everything turned out differently: the best injured at the league home debut, Schmidt was released, and the new coach Bruno Lage saw the left foot rather not on the left outer lane, but as a joker on the bench. And so the best, 26, broke off his first wander abroad after just half a year and switched back to the familiar Bundesliga the day before winter shop closing to SC Freiburg.
Freiburg’s sports director Klemens Hartenbach presented the second -tax purchase of the club’s history as follows: “There are constellations that you should not hesitate to implement them. The chance of bringing Niklas into our circle was such a way. ”Which means that if you can bring a gifted standard specialist with Bundesliga experience, which is also considered a really good type, you have to do that, then you have to do that too, too eight million euros for (rumored). And now the following constellation follows: On this 21st Bundesliga match day, the first after the end of the winter transfer window, SC Freiburg meets 1. FC Heidenheim, and with it Niklas best immediately on his ex-club. A coincidence, certain: the DFL schedule software may hardly have factored in the best adjustment difficulties in Benfica.
It is no coincidence, however, that the best moves back to a quiet environment after his career chicken, if such a climb made it possible for the second division player to face – or rather to the beard – the Heidenheim success story. The eternal Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt had brought the slim young man from Regensburg with the strong left foot in 2022, the best paid for the trust with outstanding numbers, 20 goals and 20 assists in 68 games, and only led Heidenheim to the Bundesliga and in place there Eight, for which he was rewarded with an invitation to the national team.
Actually, the SC is already well occupied in the best position
There are also soccer arguments that he could find old strength in Freiburg. Standard situations and attacks across the wings are among the specialties of the sports club. The team of coach Julian Schuster is prominently occupied in the best department: right outside with Ritsu Doan, who pulls inwards as a left foot, left on the left with right foot Vincenzo Grifo – and behind it with captain Christian Günter. But firstly, Schuster does not shy away from putting the club icons Grifo and Günter responsible for the standards, both 31, on the bench, like recently in 1: 2 against FC Bayern after previously weaker performance. Secondly, as you know, competition does not harm how the coach emphasized at the press conference before the home game against Heidenheim: “I don’t need a satisfied player who then run around with a big smile. These are all professionals who want to play from the start – and that’s why everyone has to fight. ”
This also applies to the best. But on Saturday, when looking again with the old colleagues, a big smile is probably not excluded in the event that he is sitting on the bench for now.