TThe entourage of 1. FC Union has traveled thousands of kilometers over the past few weeks, discovering a wide variety of parts of Europe. The Berliners have been to Braga and enjoyed the warming Portuguese sun, seen the Brussels suburb of Saint-Gilles and played in Malmo, home of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The whimsical tour of Europe will continue next year, with Amsterdam next on the agenda. Ajax, record champions of the Netherlands, are waiting as opponents in the Europa League.
But that’s still a long way off, not only geographically. The duel won’t come until February, it’s still a good three months to go, and if you believe what Urs Fischer said after the 5-0 loss in Leverkusen, then that’s a good thing. “The team’s tank isn’t full anymore,” said the coach after the biggest defeat of the season.
Either Fischer simply revised his opinion after a day’s break, or his players achieved an undreamt-of fuel supply overnight. Before the home game against Augsburg this Wednesday (8.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky), he said: “The tank is still full. The team is still ready to work at the limit.”
Yes, how now? They probably don’t really know that themselves at 1. FC Union. One thing is certain: The upcoming interruption of the Bundesliga, which lasts more than two months due to the upcoming World Cup, could hardly be more suitable for Union. The handling of the Europa League preliminary round in an urgent procedure took a lot of energy, as did the national competitions. Everywhere Union is still promising.
The goal is not the championship
However, Fischer felt what happened in Leverkusen as a “slap in the face”, as he puts it. There had never been five goals conceded this season. Especially not in halftime. “We all know that the second half wasn’t our best face. That’s why we want to show a reaction,” said Fischer. He did not try to further address the loss of the table lead resulting from the defeat. That had to happen sooner or later, was the message of the past two days.
What exciting weeks had it been recently: Union had been at the top of the table for seven rounds. “Only the FCU will be German champions,” the fans sang at every opportunity in the old forester’s lodge. Always with a certain amount of self-mockery. They made it clear again and again without being asked that at least the players are not flirting with this goal. It is important to collect 40 points as quickly as possible, they prayed down the same mantra as their coach Urs Fischer. According to the general view, 40 points should be enough to be allowed to play in the Bundesliga again next season.
Time for a break? Sheraldo Becker
:
Image: Witters
That seems like a bad understatement, but on closer inspection it is anything but unworldly. “We’re one of those clubs that have to make sure every year that they get a squad capable of keeping Union in the Bundesliga at least,” says sporting director Oliver Ruhnert.
Ruhnert did a good job again this summer and received praise from many quarters. In recent weeks, however, it has become clear what Ruhnert means: At Union, everything has to fit together down to the smallest detail in order to be successful. That is hardly possible over an entire season. If the fuel supply is no longer secured from all areas, the engine stutters powerfully.
Attacker Sheraldo Becker, top scorer with six goals, has been waiting for a goal nationally for six games. Strike partner Jordan Siebatcheu has been goalless in the Bundesliga for just as long. Defensively, things are no longer going as well as they did in the late summer weeks. Union have lost two of their last three Bundesliga games, conceding as many goals as in the previous eleven matches.
Union’s style, the robust approach and the quick bridging of the midfield, was copied more and more often by the opponents, see Bochum (1: 2). Fischer expects nothing else against Augsburg. “It’s about physicality. This is a team that stands on your feet and is gross. A team that plays a lot of long balls and plays football very physically and is dangerous by set pieces.” This is exactly how Bayern captain Manuel Neuer described an opponent some time ago who triggered a strange mixture of anger and respect in him. This opponent was called: Union Berlin. In the meantime, Fischer’s team has lost its own ego a little. Finding it again as quickly as possible is now the goal before the resources can be fully replenished in winter.
