Urs Fischer hasn’t had enough. When his players celebrated goals, the coach of 1. FC Union Berlin would have liked to run with the crowd of his professionals. That didn’t work.
“There were still a few minutes to play,” said the Iron Man coach. “Inwardly I was very happy,” admitted the Bundesliga club’s successful coach. The minimum qualification for the knockout phase of the Conference League was “great,” said Fischer after the late and therefore dramatic 1-0 win against Malmö FF in the Europa League. The Swiss intends to continue competing with the Köpenickers in February in this sportingly and economically more lucrative competition.
“In the end we want to spend the winter in the Europa League, that’s logical,” said Fischer. His reliable full-back Julian Ryerson was a little amazed when the options for the playoff opponents were listed in the interview zone of the Stadion an der Alten Försterei. Barça, Juventus, Ajax. That sounds different than Posen, Molde or Silkeborg as possible knockout opponents in the lower Conference League.
“Measure with the best”
“It’s not over yet. We always want to compete with the best,” Ryerson said about the starting position in Group D, in Union (6 points) as the worst case third now the two remaining opponents Sporting Braga (7) and Union Sainte-Gilloise (10) will be chasing to be at least second in early November.
Measure with the best. That is also the motto for the next highlight in the stadium at the old forester. Borussia Dortmund is coming to the arena, which is unloved by opponents, on Sunday (5.30 p.m. / DAZN). “We will be prepared,” said penalty goal scorer Robin Knoche. A guiding principle that Fischer liked to hear. “It’s a new task,” said the coach. A task for the leader of the table, who does not want to see himself as a favorite against the fourth in the table. “I don’t have Dortmund in mind yet,” admitted Fischer. The images of the late goal celebration against Malmö were still too present.
