Maximilian Eggestein Starts in Freiburg's Europa League Final XI

Maximilian Eggestein was named in SC Freiburg’s starting lineup for the Europa League final against Aston Villa on 20 May 2026. The match was set for Istanbul’s Beşiktaş-Park, while about 15,000 fans gathered at the Freiburg Messegelände to watch the final together.

Freiburg’s Final XI

Eggestein was listed with Atubolu, Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Treu, Höfler, Beste, Manzambi, Grifo and Matanovic in Freiburg’s opening team. That gave Schuster a settled group for the biggest night in the club’s European run.

Christian Günter was also mentioned as a possible captain of the winning team in the final. For Freiburg, the lineup itself carried the weight of the occasion: the club had reached a European final and put its first-choice names on the field from the start.

Beşiktaş-Park in Istanbul

The final was scheduled in Istanbul at Beşiktaş-Park against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. Freiburg arrived there after earning about 33 million euros from its Europa League run before the final, including 7 million euros for reaching the title match.

The trophy waiting for the winner is the original UEFA Europa League trophy, which weighs 15 kilograms and stands 65 centimeters tall. It was designed and made for the 1972 final and remains UEFA property, a detail that fit the scale of the night without changing the task in front of Freiburg’s starting XI.

Freiburg Messegelände Crowd

Back in Freiburg, the public viewing at the Messegelände drew around 15,000 fans. That crowd followed the same lineup decisions that Schuster made for the final, with Eggestein in midfield and Günter part of the wider leadership picture.

The setup gave supporters in Freiburg a shared view of the club’s biggest European stage while the team played in Istanbul. For Eggestein, the assignment was simple enough: start in the final, hold the midfield, and try to finish the run with Freiburg still standing in Beşiktaş-Park.