Freiburg's Höler rushes from cup match for birth of second child

Freiburg striker Lucas Höler is in a race against time to be present for the birth of his second child. He celebrated scoring the opening goal in Freiburg's dominant 5-1 victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, but his joy was tempered by the need to depart immediately.

With no helicopter available, Höler explained his urgency to catch a flight to Freiburg within the hour. "The plane leaves in an hour, so we have to hurry anyway. We can fly to Freiburg. So it should start now, hopefully I'll make it anyway," he stated after the match.

This situation follows Höler's absence from Freiburg's 3-1 first-leg victory in the Conference League qualifiers against FC Motherwell. He had opted out of that match due to concerns about potential difficulties with a last-minute return from Scotland, wanting to avoid missing the birth. He may now be able to play in the upcoming second leg in Freiburg as a father of two.

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There is no helicopter, but the plane leaves in an hour, so we have to hurry anyway. We can fly to Freiburg. So it should start now, hopefully I'll make it anyway.