Under no circumstances should Union Berlin’s debut season in the European championship be a zero-point ordeal. Before the first Champions League game in the club’s history, coach Urs Fischer repeatedly emphasized that they had to enjoy these games.
On the fourth matchday, the Iron Men are already threatened with failure. If they lose again today at SSC Napoli, they will no longer be able to make it into the knockout round in the two remaining games. And that after twelve defeats in a row in three competitions.
“Of course it’s not the same enjoyment when you go through a phase like that,” said Fischer at the press conference at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Nevertheless, they had to try, “because we worked hard for it for a year.”
After promotion in 2019, the Unioners confidently managed to stay in the first Bundesliga season. This was followed by qualification for the Conference League, then for the Europa League and last season, surprisingly, for the Champions League.
In order to play football successfully, you also need to have the necessary joy and fun, emphasized Fischer. During the days of preparation for the game in Naples, his team showed him “that they are ready to try everything for 90 minutes to take the three points with them to Berlin.” When asked to what extent he was able to enjoy the game, the 57-year-old Swiss said: “When a game starts, I’m in the tunnel.” When the referee “blows the whistle, I see a little light again.”
