Songs of joy echoed through the catacombs of Borussia Park. Getting into the Champions League for the first time is no longer a dream for the Union Berlin team. But the entire crew from Köpenick held back in front of the cameras and microphones.
“We’ve always said that we want to play internationally. But the Champions League isn’t an issue at the moment. We want to be as successful as possible,” explained defensive stabilizer Rani Khedira after the 1-0 (0-0) win at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The win at Borussia Park was a typical win for the third-placed team. A compact defense and a lightning-fast striker were enough to score the three important points for international business. Sheraldo Becker used a precise cross from Jerome Roussillon to score the day’s goal with a direct acceptance after an hour. Coach Urs Fischer was also enthusiastic about the campaign. “It was a great move, running away from the opponent in the back,” said Union’s head coach.
Union coach does not use the term Champions League
Fischer emphasized that nothing had changed in terms of the objective. “We want to try to qualify for international business for the third time in our fourth year in the Bundesliga,” explained the 57-year-old. He did not use the term Champions League. His Gladbach colleague Daniel Farke was already clearer. Union is 100 percent a candidate for the premier class, said Borussia’s coach. “The table doesn’t lie. The starting position is very good. I trust them,” said Farke.
With four points ahead of fifth place, the Berliners actually have all the trumps in their hands five laps before the end. “We’re enjoying the moment now, but we’re still humble. We still have five games and want maximum success,” said defender Robin Knoche. According to Fischer, this is not a sure-fire success. “We always have to push ourselves to the limit if we want to score points,” said the coach.
