After the first few meters as the new professional of 1. FC Union Berlin on the lawn of the stadium An der Alten Försterei, Robin Gosens disappeared again. Just like the rest of the Bundesliga squad. To warm up, they left the stadium under the analogue scoreboard, where around 2,500 fans had gathered for public training on Wednesday. Half an hour later, Gosens and his new teammates came back. And it got loud in the mood temple of Berlin-Köpenick, where Gosens is likely to make his Bundesliga debut against FSV Mainz 05 on Sunday.
It is the start of what is probably the most exciting season for Union Berlin – although with promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019, staying up in the league, reaching the Europa League and now the Champions League, the club has already had some really exciting and successful years. “I’ve always said that it’s my dream to play in Germany and the Bundesliga. Union’s last few years have been impressive, and you’ve noticed that abroad, too,” said Gosens in a statement from his new employer.
In the Europa League, Union made it to the round of 16 last season and achieved a place in the Champions League. The team is familiar with the double burden – as is Gosens, who made it to the last Champions League final with Inter Milan. The 29-year-old international switched from Champions League finalists Inter Milan to Berlin-Köpenick for allegedly 15 million euros – with that, Union set an exclamation point.
Nevertheless: They are not yet one hundred percent happy, said Union’s professional football manager Oliver Ruhnert in the podcast “Kicker meets DAZN”. “We still lack a bit of mentality and a bit of life in the team,” he said. Ruhnert did not name names. But he announced: “We’ll get more players. Those are the players we wanted to get. It’s just dragging on a bit.”
Union was able to report exclamation point number two on Thursday evening: the transfer of Kevin Volland from AS Monaco. The change of the 15-time national player and EM participant in 2021 had already been indicated in the days before. As usual, the Berliners did not provide any information about the transfer fee or the contract period. As the “Bild” reports, the attacker should cost four million euros plus possible bonuses and hire for three years in Berlin. In Monaco, Volland was no longer the first choice. “He has proven his qualities in front of goal nationally and internationally over the years. We’re looking forward to this offensively flexible player,” said Ruhnert. Volland himself emphasized that he was a child of the Bundesliga and had never lost sight of it in Monaco. “I’m very happy that I’m still getting the chance to play at the highest level here at Union,” said the striker.
There is also speculation about a transfer from Italy’s European champion Leonardo Bonucci. It would be a third exclamation mark.
At least since the relegation of “Big City Club” Hertha BSC, Union has held the supremacy in football in Berlin – this is also shown by the move from Hertha’s Lucas Tousart and Alexander Schwolow to the Köpenickers, for whom things have only been going up for years. The crucial questions are now: Where does Union end up in the 2023/24 Bundesliga table? And how is the team doing in the Champions League?
In recent years, the collective has been the key to success, said Ruhner. They have now got one or the other player who is great in sport and will also help them, “but in the end it always takes a team, not just the individual quality of the individual.” That should be the decisive point for the new season.
After fourth place, “further up” would mean that Union would advance into the top 3 Bundesliga clubs. Despite everything, the candidates for championship and vice-championship are Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. But it wouldn’t be the first time the Irons have surprised the competition. Union Berlin is currently the most exciting club in the Bundesliga.
Other sources: DPA, fc-union-berlin.de
