Nicolas Höfler

Born in Überlingen, Höfler joined SC Freiburg in 2005 and spent three years in the youth team and a further three in the reserves, before joining 2. Bundesliga side Erzgebirge Aue on a two-year loan in July 2011. He made his debut a month later, as a substitute for Guido Koçer in a 1–1 draw with Eintracht Braunschweig. Höfler was part of Freiburg’s professional squad for 13 years. For many years, he was a regular starter in the defensive midfield position. His career at the club was seen as a positive example of the “Freiburg way”, which focuses on developing young players, integrating them into the first team, and continuously improving them there. On 13 May 2026, Freiburg announced that Höfler would be retiring from professional football at the end of the 2025–26 season. On 20 May 2026, Höfler played his last professional match against Aston Villa at the 2025–26 Europa League final match. He will continue playing with the second team and set to serve as a senior squad member, passing on his experience to the younger players.

As of match played 20 May 2026

Freiburg

Bundesliga U19: 2007–08 DFB-Junior-Pokal: 2008–09 2. Bundesliga: 2015–16 DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2021–22 Europa League runner-up: 2025–26