When the draw was over and the eight groups of the 2013/2024 Champions League season were shown in their entirety for the first time on the big video screen at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, photos were taken. Shortly thereafter, 1. FC Union Berlin posted one of them. “A picture for ever. Proud to be a part of it,” it said.
It still feels a little unreal: The eternal underdog of GDR football, who only made it into the all-German 2nd division after the turn of the millennium, who then first rose again and finally arrived in the Bundesliga in 2019 actually a part of the European premier class – that closed-shop event of the big and financially strong top clubs. Two newcomers will expand the illustrious circle this season: the Belgian champions Royal Antwerpen – and Union.
also read
Great opponents will come: record winners Real Madrid, the Italian champions SSC Napoli and Sporting Braga from Portugal. “Compulsory games against Real and Napoli are exceptional. With Braga we have an opponent that we already know from the Europa League. Today not only made me happy, but a lot of Unioners,” said Union President Dirk Zingler.
Bonucci got Union on a free transfer
These are extraordinary days for the club from Köpenick – and in many ways. A few hours before the draw in Monaco, national coach Hansi Flick announced his squad for the next two international matches against Japan and France. Robin Gosens will be there – who could become Union’s first German international. The following day, the club then announced that Leonardo Bonucci had been signed – the 2021 European champion and Champions League finalist in 2015 and 2017. There aren’t many defenders who have a more illustrious name than the 36-year-old Italian, who is on a free transfer from Juventus arrive.
“It’s something special for me to go abroad for the first time in my career,” said Bonucci. But at Union he has “the opportunity to play at the highest level and to support the team on their way in three demanding competitions”.
Here you will find content from Twitter
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is required, since the providers of the embedded content as third-party providers require this consent [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the switch and via privacy at the bottom of the page.
In order to meet the increased demands, the Berliners have taken on a lot. Almost 30 million euros were spent on transfers alone. The prospect of the high income from the premier class makes it possible: 15.64 million euros in entry fee are guaranteed for participation alone, plus various success-related and -independent distributions.
With 13 million euros, the lion’s share of the Berlin investment went to Gosens, 29, who came from Inter Milan. Many Unions had not expected this transfer in particular. “Sometimes you have to be persistent,” said Managing Director Oliver Ruhnert, who had given ZDF insights into his working methods: keeping options open by maintaining contacts. “He told me: ‘Union is waiting for you,'” revealed Gosens. Ruhnert just didn’t let up. That impressed him.
also read
Most of the other additions are also players who would have been completely out of reach just a few years ago. There is Diogo Leite, 24, the Portuguese centre-back who has now been signed by FC Porto for €7.5m. David Datro Fofana, 20, was loaned out by Chelsea FC. The Englishmen paid Molde FK 13 million euros for the Ivorian in January. Kevin Volland, 31, came for four million from AS Monaco. “I wanted to have the challenge of playing in the Bundesliga again and at a traditional club,” said the offensive player.
This is where you will find content from Instagram
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is required, since the providers of the embedded content as third-party providers require this consent [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the switch and via privacy at the bottom of the page.
Union has now developed a certain attractiveness that is not solely due to reaching the Champions League. It is the continuous upward trend, the sustainability that characterizes the club: In 2019/2020, in the first season after promotion, the team of coach Urs Fischer reached eleventh place, then Union ran in seventh, fifth and finally fourth rank one. In 2021, the team moved into the Conference League, a year later they made it into the group stage of the Europa League. The path was “a huge challenge,” said Zingler: “But everyone in the club asks themselves every day how we can get even better.”
This does not only apply to the development of the professional team. Zingler recently announced investments of over 100 million euros in infrastructure. A new youth academy is being built for around 25 million. The capacity of the stadium “An der Alten Försterei” is to be expanded from 22,000 to 37,000 spectators – if politicians finally give the green light. In order to give as many fans as possible the opportunity to attend the games against Real, Napoli and Barga, Union will play its premiere games in the Champions League in the Olympic Stadium.
Always bigger: This is how it should look in the old forester’s house
What: 1. FC Union Berlin eV
It might not be easy to concentrate on everyday life in the Bundesliga despite the sensory overload of the past few days. However, Urs Fischer, who has been with Union for more than five years, is opposed to this. “We know where we come from,” is the credo of the Swiss. RB Leipzig is expected on Sunday (5.30 p.m., in the WELT sports ticker) – also a Champions League participant.
This is where you will find third-party content
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is required, since the providers of the embedded content as third-party providers require this consent [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the switch and via privacy at the bottom of the page.
This is where you will find third-party content
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is required, since the providers of the embedded content as third-party providers require this consent [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (which can be revoked at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the switch and via privacy at the bottom of the page.
.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1)
