Julian Schuster

Schuster was born in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Baden-Württemberg. He had his professional debut on 27 October 2007 for VfB Stuttgart against Bayer Leverkusen. In July 2008, he moved to SC Freiburg. On 18 February 2014, Schuster extended his contract for an undisclosed length. In May 2018, he announced his retirement.

Following his retirement, Schuster transitioned into a liaison coach at SC Freiburg while concurrently serving as an assistant coach. In October 2022, alongside Patrick Baier, he stepped in for head coach Christian Streich, who tested positive for COVID-19, during the Europa League match against Nantes. In January 2023, he completed a course at the DFB to attain the Pro license, the pinnacle coaching accreditation in German football. In March 2024, it was announced that Schuster would assume the position of head coach for SC Freiburg for the 2024–25 season, succeeding Streich. In his debut season, Schuster led the club to a fifth-place finish and Europa League qualification, narrowly missing out on the Champions League after a 3–1 home defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt on the final matchday. In the following season, he led the club to reach the Europa League final, their first ever in the competition.