Christian Günter

1.1. Childhood and education

Günter was born in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, on February 28, 1993. His family originates from Tennenbronn, a district of Schramberg, where he joined the local football club, FV Tennenbronn, at the age of four. When he was 13 years old, he was invited to a trial training session by SC Freiburg, subsequently progressing through their youth teams. Throughout his youth career with Freiburg, he commuted between Tennenbronn and Freiburg. After graduating from secondary school, Günter pursued further education and training as an industrial mechanic in St. Georgen, demonstrating his commitment to a path outside of football in his early years.

1.2. Family and personal life

Christian Günter is married and has a daughter. He currently lives in Littenweiler, a district of Freiburg, maintaining his connection to the city where he has spent his entire professional football career.

2.1. Youth career

Günter began his football journey at age four with FV Tennenbronn. At 13, he moved to SC Freiburg's academy, progressing through their youth system. His dedication and talent were evident when he captained the A-Juniors team to victory in the youth DFB-Pokal in 2012, a significant achievement that foreshadowed his future leadership role.

2.2. Early professional career

Günter's professional career began in the 2012-13 season when he was integrated into SC Freiburg's professional squad. He took on the role as the new left-back, replacing Oliver Sorg. His first inclusion in the senior team's squad was on November 17, 2012. A few weeks later, on December 8, he made his debut for the first team in a 1-0 victory against SpVgg Greuther Fürth, entering the game in the 77th minute as a substitute for Vegar Eggen Hedenstad. Günter made his second appearance as a substitute in the DFB-Pokal on December 18 against Karlsruher SC. In his inaugural season, he participated in a total of eight competitive matches.

In the subsequent season, SC Freiburg competed in the UEFA Europa League. Günter made his first appearance of the new campaign in the DFB-Pokal against TSG Neustrelitz. Over the following months, coach Christian Streich utilized him more frequently, especially when the regular full-backs, Hedenstad and Mensur Mujdža, were temporarily unavailable. On September 19, 2013, Günter made his debut in European competition against Slovan Liberec. Despite his contributions, Freiburg was eliminated after the Europa League group stage. In March 2014, Günter demonstrated his commitment to the club by extending his contract with SC Freiburg early.

2.3. Established as a regular player and captaincy

On November 8, 2014, during the 11th matchday of the 2014-15 Bundesliga season, Günter scored his first Bundesliga goal in the 22nd minute of a 2-0 victory against Schalke 04. At the end of that season, in which Günter played in every Bundesliga match for the club, Freiburg was relegated to the second division. However, in the following season, the team secured the 2. Bundesliga championship, achieving immediate promotion back to the first league. Günter consistently maintained his position as a regular left-back for Freiburg in the subsequent seasons, only missing two matches in the following three Bundesliga campaigns.

In 2020, Günter was elected team captain of SC Freiburg. As captain, he made a conscious decision to wear a captain's armband adorned with rainbow colors. This gesture was a powerful statement to champion greater tolerance and actively oppose exclusion within football and society. In March 2021, he further cemented his long-term commitment to the club by extending his contract for an unspecified duration.

On matchday 2 of the 2021-22 season, Günter achieved a significant milestone, becoming Freiburg's all-time record player in the Bundesliga with his 237th appearance, surpassing Andreas Zeyer's previous club record.

3.1. Youth national teams

Günter made his debut for the Germany under-20 national team on October 12, 2013, in a 4-0 victory against the Netherlands. He started the match before being substituted by Tim Leibold of VfB Stuttgart.

In September 2014, Günter received his first call-up to the Germany under-21 national team by coach Horst Hrubesch for two European Championship qualifiers. He played the full 90 minutes in his debut for the German U21 team on September 5, 2014, in a 2-0 win against Ireland. Günter made three appearances as his team advanced to the main round of the qualifiers.

In July 2016, Günter was selected to represent Germany at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He and his team achieved notable success, earning a silver medal in the tournament.

3.2. Senior national team

Christian Günter made his debut for the Germany national team on May 13, 2014, in a friendly match against Poland, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute for Oliver Sorg.

After a period away from the national team, Günter was named to the squad for UEFA Euro 2020 by national coach Joachim Löw in May 2021. He earned his second senior international cap in a pre-tournament friendly against Denmark on June 2, 2021. Germany reached the round of 16 at Euro 2020, where they were defeated by England. Despite the team's early exit and his disappointment with their overall performance, Günter publicly expressed his readiness and desire to continue playing for the national team in future engagements.

In November 2022, Günter was again called up to the Germany squad, this time by coach Hansi Flick, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

4.1. Club statistics

4.2. International statistics

5.1. Club

SC Freiburg

• DFB-Pokal runners-up: 2021-22
• 2. Bundesliga: 2015-16

5.2. International

Germany Olympic Games/U23

• Silver medal: 2016 Summer Olympics

5.3. Individual

• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2019-20
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2021-22