1. FC Union Berlin has taken another step forward on the path to realigning its sporting leadership – and has hired Bo Svensson as its new coach.
Bo Svensson becomes the new coach of 1. FC Union Berlin. IMAGO/foal photo
As 1. FC Union announced, Bo Svensson has signed a contract. As usual, the Berliners did not announce a duration. The 44-year-old succeeds Marco Grote, who took over for the previously released head coach Nenad Bjelica in the last two games of the 2023/24 season.
“We have decided in close consultation with Oliver Ruhnert and Horst Heldt to make a sporting fresh start in the summer and are convinced that Bo Svensson is a coach who is a good fit for our club,” Union President Dirk Zingler is quoted as saying on the club’s website. “I am looking forward to working with him and am sure that, together with the team, he can ensure that we play a good role in the Bundesliga.”
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Heldt as the first step, Svensson is the second
This means that the personnel realignment in the sporting management level at 1. FC Union continues: Shortly after the 34th matchday, the Köpenick team had already introduced Horst Heldt as the new sports director. The previous managing director of sports, Oliver Ruhnert, will again act as chief scout in the future at his own request.
With Svensson, continuity should now be restored to the coaching bench. Urs Fischer took his place there for a long time, and things initially only went up for the Iron Men under the Swiss: in 2019, Fischer led Union into the Bundesliga, in 2021 into the Europa Conference League, and a year later they qualified for the Europa League and another twelve months then even the one for the Champions League.
But after 14 competitive games without a win last autumn, Fischer’s time at the Alte Försterei was over in November 2023. He was followed by Bjelica, who had to resign after just six months before Grote prevented the club from being relegated to the second division.
Svensson is considered the preferred candidate at 1. FC Union. He was reportedly already in talks after the separation from Fischer, but at the time he did not want to take on a new role so soon after his resignation in Mainz.
Most recently, Svensson himself stated that he could imagine taking up the job with the Iron Men after a six-month break. And even after Bjelica was relieved of his duties shortly before the end of the season, Svensson was considered an external solution for the final spurt. But an agreement was not reached. Now the collaboration has been fixed.
“The unity that the Union exudes” is an important factor for Svensson
For Svensson, the Alte Försterei is the second stop in the Bundesliga. The Dane learned the coaching trade in the youth performance center of 1. FSV Mainz 05, and he returned to the Rheinhessen in January 2021 via a stopover at the Austrian second division club FC Liefering.
He took over the team in second-to-last place in the table and led them to stay in the league. For the following two seasons, 1. FSV sailed in calm waters before the start of the 2023/24 season was a complete failure. After nine match days without a win and being eliminated in the second round of the cup by second division club Hertha BSC, he resigned from his job.
“I have been observing Union for a long time and I am sure that I will find good conditions for successful work here,” said Svensson. “The solidarity that Union exudes, the unity between the team, fans, employees and club management, is a very important factor.”
2024-05-23 15:03:46
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