1. FC Union Berlin

Association football club in Germany the men's football club the women's team 1. FC Union Berlin (women) May 2026 Union Berlin 1. Fußballclub Union Berlin e. V. 1. FC Union Berlin Logo.svg 1.2 Die Eisernen (The Iron Ones)https://eiserne-unioner.de/union-berlin-vfl-wolfsburg-vorschau-21-spieltag Union Berlin – VfL Wolfsburg Vorschau: Bleibt FCU gegen Wölfe zu Hause ungeschlagen? Union Berlin – VfL Wolfsburg Preview: Will FCU remain unbeaten at home against Wolves? Freiberg Robert 2 February 2024 Eiserne-Unioner.de Eisener Unioner 2 June 2024 de 1966 1 20 yes(preceded by FC Olympia Oberschöneweide, founded 1906) Stadion An der Alten Försterei 22,012https://www.bundesliga.com/de/bundesliga/clubs/1-fc-union-berlin 1. FC Union Berlin Bundesliga.com Bundesliga 2 June 2024 de Dirk Zingler de President Head coach Mauro Lustrinelli UnionBer UnionBer2 UnionBer3 https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/ fc-union-berlin.de _unionberlin2627h _unionberlin2627h _unionberlin2627h _unionberlin2627h _unionberlin2627hl FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 _unionberlin2627a _unionberlin2627a _unionberlin2627a _unionberlin2627a _unionberlin2627al 444444 444444 444444 000000 000000 _unionberlin2627t _unionberlin2627t _unionberlin2627t _unionberlin2627t _unionberlin2627tl FFEE00 FFEE00 FFEE00 FFEE00 FFF4D1 2026–27 1. FC Union Berlin season 1. Fußballclub Union Berlin e. V., commonly known as Union Berlin (de ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ʔɛfˈt͡seː ʔuˈni̯oːn bɛʁˈliːn pron De-1. FC Union Berlin.ogg), is a professional German football club based in Berlin. The club's origins can be traced to 1906, when its predecessor FC Olympia Oberschöneweide was founded. During the Cold War, Union was based in East Berlin, joining the German league structure upon the reunification of the country in 1990.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/17/union-berlin-bundesliga-quite-special-here 'Things are quite special here': Union Berlin prepare for the Bundesliga Ames Nick 17 August 2019 The Guardian 18 August 2019 en-GB 0261-3077 From 2009 until 2019, they competed in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. In 2019, Union won promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history. In 2021, Union finished seventh in the league to qualify to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League. In 2022, the club qualified for the UEFA Europa League by finishing fifth. The following season, the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga. The home ground of the club is the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. It is the second-largest in the German capital and has been home to Union Berlin and its forerunners since it opened in 1920.Stadium at the Old Forester's House https://web.archive.org/web/20230214161836/https://theawaysection.com/a-stadium-at-the-old-foresters-house/ 14 February 2023 . Retrieved 5 March 2016. The stadium also hosts concerts and the annual Weihnachtssingen Christmas carols event.Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Football Tripper. Retrieved 5 March 2016. 2026 6 30 , Union Berlin has 72,172 official members.Club Membership. Retrieved 10 July 2026. The club has become well known for its enthusiastic and creative fan base and its chant "Eisern Union" (Iron Union).Bundesliga and beyond – Union Berlin. Retrieved 5 March 2016.Inside Union Berlin's miracle. Retrieved 19 October 2022. 2 History First foundation (1906–1945) The name 1. FC Union Berlin was used by two football clubs that shared a common origin as FC Olympia Oberschöneweide, founded in 1906 in Oberschöneweide, which at that time was a suburb of Berlin. The side took on the name SC Union 06 Oberschöneweide in 1910.https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/Club/club-history/ Club History FC-Union-Berlin.de 1. FC Union Berline 2 June 2024 Union was one of Berlin's premier clubsJanuary 2024 in the interwar period, regularly winning local championships and competing at the national level, including an appearance in the 1923 German championship final which they lost 0–3 to Hamburger SV. Early on, the team was nicknamed "Schlosserjungs" (English: metalworker-boys) because of their then all blue kit, reminiscent of the typical work clothing worn in the factories of the industrial Oberschöneweide district. The popular cry of Union supporters – "Eisern Union!" (Iron Union) – also emerged at this time.'Iron Union!': East Berlin's Favourite Football Team, Beyond The Last Man, 18 April 2018 Since its foundation the club has had a distinct working-class image,January 2024 in contrast to other local clubs with more middle-class origins, such as Viktoria 89 Berlin, Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin, BSV 92 Berlin or Tennis Borussia Berlin. In 1933, German football was reorganized under the Third Reich into 16 top-flight divisions known as Gauligen. Oberschöneweide became part of the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg, where they generallyJanuary 2024 earned middling,January 2024 how middling is 'middling'? unexceptionalJanuary 2024 results. They were relegated in 1935 and returned to first division play in 1936 after only one season's absence. In 1940, the team finished first in Group B of the division and then defeated Blau-Weiß 90 (1–2, 3–0) to win the overall division title. That advanced the club to the national playoffs where they were put out by Rapid Wien in the opening group round (2–3, 1–3). Union resumed its place as an average side.January 2024 They were relegated again in 1942 and played the final war-shortened Gauliga season in 1944–45. Dissolution and split (1945–1961) thumb|left|Coach Hanne Sobek (left) in 1955. 260px|thumb|Historical chart of Union Berlin league performance After World War II, occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in Germany, including sports and football associations. A new sport community called SG Oberschöneweide was formed in late 1945 and it played in the City League organized immediately after the war which had four regional departments. The team did not qualify to the newly created Oberliga Berlin (I) in 1946 after a poor season, but was promoted in 1947, won the division title right away and regained club status as SG Union Oberschöneweide during 1948–49. The club finished the 1949–50 season in second place in Berlin and qualified to take part in the national final rounds. However, escalating Cold War tensions led Soviet authorities to refuse the team permission to travel to take part. Two Union teams then emerged as most players and coaches emigrated west to form Sport-Club Union 06 Berlin which took part in the scheduled playoff match in Kiel against Hamburger SV, losing 0–7.Ein Spiel für Verein und Flüchtlinge https://web.archive.org/web/20151118194227/http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/union/sc-union-06-gegen-den-1--fc-union-berlin-ein-spiel-fuer-verein-und-fluechtlinge,10808802,29476388.html 18 November 2015 de Berliner Zeitung, published: 4 January 2015 Retrieved 18 November 2015SC Union 06: Die Erben der Schlosserjungs de Der Tagesspiegel, published: 25 June 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2015 The players remaining in the east carried on as SG Union Oberschöneweide while a number of players who had emigrated west to form SC organized a third side called Berliner Ballspiel-Club Südost.January 2024 The western team was a strong side until the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, drawing huge crowds to matches in the Olympiastadion. The division of the city led to a change of fortunes for BBC Südost which plays today in the lower divisions before meagreJanuary 2024 crowds. Restart as Union Berlin (1961–1990) thumb|Ulrich Prüfke (captain) and Ralph Quest raise the FDGB Pokal trophy in 1968. The eastern branch of the club went through a number of name changes: Union Oberschöneweide (1950), BSG Motor Oberschöneweide (1951), SC Motor Berlin (1955), TSC Oberschöneweide (1957), TSC Berlin (1963) – finally becoming the football club 1. FC Union Berlin in 1966. 1. FC Union Berlin was founded during the reorganization of East German football in December 1965 and January 1966, when ten dedicated football clubs were created. However, the football department of TSC Berlin was originally not taken into account. Only two clubs were planned for East Berlin, to be formed from the football departments of ASK Vorwärts Berlin and SC Dynamo Berlin. This was already contrary to the original plan, which had envisioned only one football club per district. And the football department of TSC Berlin was only playing in the second tier DDR-Liga at the time. 1. FC Union Berlin was founded on the initiative of the powerful Herbert Warnke. Herbert Warnke was the chairman of the state-controlled national trade union FDGB and a member of the SED Politburo. Another SED politician and Politburo member who pushed for the founding of 1. FC Union Berlin was the SED First Secretary in East Berlin Paul Verner.Glaser Joakim 2015 Fotboll från Mielke till Merkel – Kontinuitet, brott och förändring i supporterkultur i östra Tyskland Football from Mielke to Merkel 1st sv Malmö Arx Förlag AB 127 978-91-87043-61-1 Both ASK Vorwärts Berlin and SC Dynamo Berlin were associated with the armed organs (de Bewaffnete Organe der DDR). Warnke therefore argued for the creation of a third "civilian club" for the working people in East Berlin. He would become a passionate fan of 1. FC Union Berlin and a sponsoring member of the club.McDougall Alan 2014 The People's Game: Football, State and Society in East Germany Cambridge 1st Cambridge University Press 24 978-1-107-05203-1Kannowski Stephan 1999 Der Einfluss der SED auf den Sport der DDR am Beispiel des Fußballvereins 1. FC Union Berlin October 1999 Hamburg Diplomarbeiten Agentur diplom.de (Bedey Media GmbH) 44–45 978-3832419226 1. FC Union Berlin was established in the middle of one of the largest industrial centers in East Germany.Bachelor Dost Robert 17 January 2011 Der zivile Club – Die gesellschaftliche Stellung des 1.FC Union Berlin und seiner Anhänger in der DDR https://monami.hs-mittweida.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/940/file/BA.Arbeit.Robert.Dost.pdf de Berlin Mittweida Hochschule Mittweida 12 2 March 2021 1. FC Union Berlin was initially supported by the FDGB. The intention of the SED to win the support from FDGB for 1. FC Union Berlin was likely well thought out. The FDGB unified all workers in East Germany and therefore was most likely to carry the proper identity for a club of the working people. The club was founded in a ceremony in the clubhouse of VEB Transformatorenwerk Oberschöneheide "Karl Liebknecht" (TRO) in Oberschöneweide on 20 January 1966. The founding of the club was organized by the then-SED First Secretary in Köpenick, Hans Modrow.Ludewig Alexander 12 February 2016 Der 1. FC Union als Hauptstadtklub im geteilten Berlin https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1001500.der-fc-union-als-hauptstadtklub-im-geteilten-berlin.html de Neues Deutschland Berlin Neues Deutschland Druckerei und Verlag GmbH 4 April 2021 Like Herbert Warnke, Hans Modrow would be a sponsoring member of the club. SED Politburo member Paul Verner held a speech at the inaugural meeting. 3 April 1983 Kröten im Tümpel https://www.spiegel.de/sport/kroeten-im-tuempel-a-4ccf90bc-0002-0001-0000-000014024038 de 1983 14 Der Spiegel Der Spiegel GmbH & Co. KG Hamburg 12 March 2023 SED Politburo member Verner would be a very strong sympathizer of the club.https://www.kulturkaufhaus.de/annot/554D7C7C393738333836323635353038337C7C504446.pdf?sq=95 111 Gründe, Unioner zu sein: Eine Liebeserklärung an die wundervollsten Fans der Welt Nüssbauer Frank n.d. kulturkaufhaus.de Berlin Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus GmbH de 22 30 November 2024 Verner übrigens war ein ausgesprochener Sympathisant unseres Vereins und Union, im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Vertretern seiner Zunft, sehr wohlgesinnt. 1. FC Union Berlin was the only football club not playing in the DDR-Oberliga at the time of its founding. As a dedicated football club, it was elevated into the upper tier of privileged elite clubs.Dennis LaPorte Mike Norman 2011 State and Minorities in Communist East Germany New York 1st Berghahn Books 131 978-0-85745-195-8 https://www.bpb.de/geschichte/zeitgeschichte/deutschlandarchiv/301246/vom-mauerbluemchen-zum-fussball-leuchtturm Vom Mauerblümchen zum Fußball-Leuchtturm Koch Matthias 28 November 2019 bpb.de Bonn Federal Agency for Civic Education de 5 April 2021 The official sponsor of 1. FC Union Berlin was the state-owned combine VVB Hochspannungsgeräte und Kabel, which implemented its support through VEB Kabelwerk Oberspree, VEB Transformatorenwerk Oberschöneweide and other local state-owned enterprises.https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/verein/vereinsgeschichte/ Vereinsgeschichte: Gründung Des 1. FC Union Berlin n.d. fc-union-berlin.de Berlin 1. FC Union Berlin e.V. de https://web.archive.org/web/20211122205739/https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/verein/vereinsgeschichte/ 22 November 2021 2 November 2021 The first club president was the general director of VVB Hochspannungsgeräte und Kabel, Werner Otto, and his deputy was the SED Second Secretary in East Berlin, Hans Wagner.Bachelor Japke Josephine 2017 Die gesellschaftspolitische Stellung des 1. FC Union Berlin zu Zeiten der DDR The socio-political position of the German football club 1. FC Union Berlin during the GDR https://monami.hs-mittweida.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/8807/file/BA+UNION.pdf de Königs Wusterhafen Hochschule Mittweida 35 2 March 2021 https://www.bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de/de/recherche/kataloge-datenbanken/biographische-datenbanken/hans-wagner Wagner, Hans n.d. bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de Berlin Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship de 2 March 2021 Even as a "civilian club", 1. FC Union Berlin was part of the state sports political system.Bachelor Dost Robert 17 January 2011 Der zivile Club – Die gesellschaftliche Stellung des 1.FC Union Berlin und seiner Anhänger in der DDR https://monami.hs-mittweida.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/940/file/BA.Arbeit.Robert.Dost.pdf de Berlin Mittweida Hochschule Mittweida 53nb Being a "civilian club" did not mean that the club was independent from the state sports political system. A "civilian club" was simply a club that was not affiliated to the sports associations (SV) of the armed organs: SV Dynamo or ASV Vorwärts. The civilian clubs were instead clubs of the DTSB. All clubs in the 1966-67 DDR-Oberliga, except FC Vorwärts Berlin, BFC Dynamo and SG Dynamo Dresden, were civilian clubs. The most important positions on the board of 1. FC Union Berlin would exclusively be held by directors of state-owned factories or SED representatives. 1. FC Union Berlin was state-funded and all club decisions had to be reported to the all-powerful central sports agency DTSB. In turn, the DTSB stood under direct control of the SED Central Committee.Bachelor Dost Robert 17 January 2011 Der zivile Club – Die gesellschaftliche Stellung des 1.FC Union Berlin und seiner Anhänger in der DDR https://monami.hs-mittweida.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/940/file/BA.Arbeit.Robert.Dost.pdf de Berlin Mittweida Hochschule Mittweida 16 The support from the FDGB ended when Herbert Warnke was replaced by Harry Tisch as the chairman of the FDGB in 1975. Tisch had begun his political career in Rostock and instead gave his support to FC Hansa Rostock. This event was remarkable, as it revealed the large influence that high-ranking politicians exerted on football in East Germany. 1. FC Union Berlin would then have to rely on support from the regional district management (de Bezirksleitung) of the ruling SED party in East Berlin and local state-owned enterprises.Bartz Dietmar 8 December 2003 Die Stasi war nichts Spezielles https://taz.de/!669107/ de Die Tageszeitung taz Verlags u. Vertriebs GmbH Berlin 30 October 2021 Willmann Frank 18 August 2005 Aus den Unterklassen: Ostberlin im Derbyfieber http://home.snafu.de/erich.mielke/HTMLPresse/2005_08_18.html Junge Welt de Berlin Verlag 8. Mai GmbH 30 October 2021 The main sponsors would be VEB Kabelwerk Oberspree (KWO), VEB Transformatorenwerk Oberschöneweide (TRO) and VEB Werk für Fernsehelektronik (WF).Bachelor Dost Robert 31 August 2010 Der zivile Club – Die gesellschaftliche Stellung des 1.FC Union Berlin und seiner Anhänger in der DDR https://monami.hs-mittweida.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/940/file/BA.Arbeit.Robert.Dost.pdf de Berlin Mittweida Hochschule Mittweida 39 7 September 2020 26 May 2001 Und niemals den Ursprung vergessen: Eisern Union https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article453191/Und-niemals-den-Ursprung-vergessen-Eisern-Union.html de Die Welt Berlin WeltN24 GmbH 22 November 2020 1. FC Union Berlin developed a bitter rivalry with BFC Dynamo, which was supported by the Stasi. While their arch rivals won 10 titles in a row, Union yo-yoed between the DDR-Oberliga and the DDR-Liga with very little success. Union managed to win the East German Cup in 1968 when they defeated FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2–1 although they lost in their second cup appearance in 1986 to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig by a score of 1–5. The East German state-owned film studio DEFA produced a documentary about the supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin in 1989. The documentary is called And Fridays at the Green Hell and follows a group of supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin to both home and away matches during the 1987–88 season.And Fridays at the Green Hell DEFA Film Library https://ecommerce.umass.edu/defa/film/21572 5 October 2022 ecommerce.umass.edu 2. Bundesliga era (1990–2019) thumb|left|Supporters choreography in 2010 After German reunification in 1990, the team continued to perform well on the field,January 2024 but almost collapsed financially. They managed to hang on and find sponsorship, but only after winning their division in both 1993 and 1994 and each time being denied a license to play in the 2. Bundesliga due to their financial problems. The club had another close brushJanuary 2024 with financial failure in 1997. Union again came close to advancing to the 2. Bundesliga in 1998–99 and 1999–2000, but were disappointed.January 2024 does this mean that the club did not advance?January 2024 They were finally successful in 2000–01, under Bulgarian manager Georgi Vasilev, easily winning the Regionalliga Nord (III) and moving up a division to become the city's second most popular side.January 2024 moving up a division affected their... popularity? according to whom? That sameJanuary 2024 not 'that different year'? year they appeared in the final of the German Cup where they lost 0–2 to FC Schalke 04, and advanced as far as the second round in UEFA Cup before being put out by Bulgarian side PFC Litex Lovech. The club slipped to the Regionalliga Nord (III) in 2004–05 and then to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord (IV) in 2005–06, but returned to third division play after capturingJanuary 2024 the Oberliga title. In 2008–09, Union became one of the founding clubs of the new 3. Liga, and its inaugural champion, securing first place and promotion to the 2. Bundesliga on 10 May. A controversy occurred in 2011 when it became publicly known that club president Dirk Zingler had been a member of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment for three years during his military service.https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-fc-union-wrestles-with-its-east-german-past-again/a-15273229 Berlin's FC Union wrestles with its East German past – again Knight Ben 29 July 2011 Bonn Deutsche Welle 30 May 2021 Only two years before, Zingler had cancelled a sponsorship deal with the company International Sport Promotion (ISP) because the head of the board at the company had been a Stasi officer.Kruse Jürn 19 July 2011 Union vertraut Zingler trotz Stasi-Vergangenheit https://www.welt.de/debatte/kolumnen/auszeit/article13495750/Union-vertraut-Zingler-trotz-Stasi-Vergangenheit.html de Die Welt Berlin WeltN24 GmbH 22 November 2020 The Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment was the paramilitary wing of the Stasi.https://www.dw.com/en/new-berlin-state-secretary-haunted-by-stasi-past/a-36865583 New Berlin state secretary haunted by Stasi past | DW | 21.12.2016 Deutsche Welle Zingler explained that he had sought to spend his military service in Berlin and that he was unaware beforehand that the regiment belonged to the Stasi. 19 July 2011 Union-Boss Zingler war Stasi-Soldat https://www.bz-berlin.de/artikel-archiv/union-boss-zingler-war-stasi-soldat de B.Z. Berlin B.Z. Ullstein GmbH 22 November 2020 However, the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment was an elite formation; it was not possible to simply apply for the regiment. The Stasi selected who it thought were best fit to serve with the regiment, only accepting recruits who were "loyal to the line". Zingler had also been a member of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) and leader in the Free German Youth (FDJ) at the time.Wolf Mathias 19 July 2011 Wenn die Vergangenheit die Gegenwart unmöglich macht: Dirk Zingler, Präsident des 1. FC Union, war Mitglied im Stasi-Wachregiment: Der schwarze Fleck https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/wenn-die-vergangenheit-die-gegenwart-unmoeglich-macht-dirk-zingler-praesident-des-1-fc-union-war-mitglied-im-stasi-wachregiment-der-schwarze-fleck-li.68951 de Berliner Zeitung Berliner Verlag GmbH Berlin 1 February 2023 Speaking about the reports on Zingler in 2011, Union Press spokesman Christian Arbeit said: "We do have a very unique history, compared to other clubs. But it wasn't us that always claimed we were this big anti-Stasi club. These are stories that get simplified in the media."https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-fc-union-wrestles-with-its-east-german-past-again/a-15273229 Stasi skeletons Knight Ben 29 July 2011 dw.com Bonn Deutsche Welle 1 February 2023 On 1 June 2018, Swiss coach Urs Fischer was announced as new head coach of the club.https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/club/Union-Berlin-appoint-Urs-Fischer-as-head-coach-21V/ Union Berlin appoint Urs Fischer as head coach 1. FC Union Berlin en 2 June 2018 The team remained in the second tier until the 2018–19 season, when they secured a first promotion to the Bundesliga after defeating VfB Stuttgart in the relegation play-offs. The club's supporters invaded the pitch after the victory, but no one was harmed.https://www.dw.com/en/union-berlin-secure-first-ever-bundesliga-promotion/a-48908229 Union Berlin secure first-ever Bundesliga promotion DW 27 May 2019 Bundesliga era and European football (2019–present) Union Berlin became the first Bundesliga club from the former East Berlin and the sixth from the former East Germany, after Dynamo Dresden, Hansa Rostock, VfB Leipzig, Energie Cottbus, and RB Leipzig. The team is the sixth to win promotion from the 2. Bundesliga by beating the 16th-placed Bundesliga team in the playoff – since it began in the 1981–82 season, the others being Bayer Uerdingen, 1. FC Saarbrücken, Stuttgarter Kickers, 1. FC Nürnberg and Fortuna Düsseldorf. Ahead of Union Berlin's debut season in the Bundesliga, the club signed Neven Subotić,1. FC Union Berlin sign defender Neven Subotic https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/professional/1-FC-Union-Berlin-sign-defender-Neven-Subotic-298L/ 1. FC Union Berlin 4 July 2019 8 August 2019 Anthony UjahUnion Berlin sign Anthony Ujah from Mainz https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/professional/Union-Berlin-sign-Anthony-Ujah-from-Mainz-285y/ 1. FC Union Berlin 20 June 2019 8 August 2019 and Christian Gentner,Christian Gentner becomes latest Union addition https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/professional/Union-Berlin-sign-Anthony-Ujah-from-Mainz-285y/ 1. FC Union Berlin 5 July 2019 8 August 2019 as well as re-signing Marvin Friedrich, who had scored a decisive goal against Stuttgart in the play-offs in the previous season to secure promotion for the club.January 2024 are there 2 seasons with promotion play-offs against Stuttgart? or 1 season with a promotion play-off against Stuttgart?Friedrich completes transfer from Augsburg https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/professional/Friedrich-completes-transfer-from-Augsburg-299Y/ 1. FC Union Berlin 5 July 2019 8 August 2019 Their first ever Bundesliga goal was scored by Sebastian Andersson in a 1–1 draw against Augsburg.January 2024 'The first ever Bundesliga goal'? ever? really?https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/augsburg-union-berlin-live-line-ups-stats-max-subotic-gruezo-finnbogason-6428 Sebastian Andersson the hero as Union Berlin record first ever Bundesliga point in Augsburg Bundesliga 24 August 2019 On 31 August 2019, the club beat Borussia Dortmund 3–1 in a home game, a result that secured its first win in a Bundesliga game.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49537174 Union 3–1 Borussia Dortmund: Union stun Dortmund for first Bundesliga win BBC 22 September 2019 The team finished the season in 11th place, with Sebastian Andersson scoring 12 goals. On 22 May 2021, in Union Berlin's second Bundesliga season, the club qualified for the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League after finishing seventh, following a 2–1 home win against RB Leipzig, with Max Kruse confirming Union Berlin's first European campaign in twenty years, with a 92nd-minute winner.January 2024 'after... following... with... with'... 2 withs... a lot happening.https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/union-berlin-rb-leipzig-live-line-ups-stats-nagelsmann-konate-upamecano-adams-15943 Max Kruse fires Union Berlin into Europe to spoil Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig farewell Bundesliga 22 May 2021 In the following season, the club finished fifth in the league to qualify to the Europa League, where they reached the round of 16.https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/fussball/profis/spielplan/detail/Union-Saint-Gilloise-1-FC-Union-Berlin--17141f/ Union verliert 0:3 Gegen Saint-Gilles Union Berlin de 16 March 2023 27 May 2023 27 May 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230527191341/https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/fussball/profis/spielplan/detail/Union-Saint-Gilloise-1-FC-Union-Berlin--17141f/ dead In the 2022–23 season, Union Berlin qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time in its history, after a 1–0 home win against Werder Bremen on the final matchday.https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/union-live/news/profis/Union-qualifiziert-sich-fuer-die-Champions-League-20829H/ Union qualifiziert sich für die Champions League Union Berlin de 27 May 2023 In the 2023–24 season, the club experienced a bad start including 14 winless competitive matches in a row, hence they decided to separate with coach Urs Fischer by "mutual agreement".https://www.kicker.de/gemeinsame-entscheidung-fischer-nicht-mehr-trainer-von-union-berlin-977427/artikel "Gemeinsame Entscheidung": Fischer nicht mehr Trainer von Union Berlin “Joint decision”: Fischer no longer coaches Union Berlin de Kicker 15 November 2023 15 November 2023 Following two consecutive defeats against relegation rivals Bochum and 1. FC Köln in the late stages of the season, Union dropped to the 16th place.https://www.sportschau.de/fussball/bundesliga/abstieg-vorerst-abgewendet-fussball-wunder-laesst-koeln-hoffen,bundesliga-spielbericht-koeln-union-berlin-100.html Abstieg vorerst abgewendet – Fußball-Wunder lässt Köln hoffen Sportschau de 13 May 2024 On the final matchday, they clinched a 2–1 win over Freiburg in the stoppage-time, securing their continued presence in the Bundesliga.https://www.sportschau.de/fussball/bundesliga/haberer-schiesst-union-zur-direkten-rettung-,bundesliga-spielbericht-berlin-freiburg-100.html Wahnsinns-Finale in Berlin – Haberer schießt Union zur direkten Rettung Sportschau de 18 May 2024 Stadium Stadion An der Alten Försterei thumb|left|250px| The main building of the stadium was inaugurated in late 2013. In 1920, SC Union Oberschöneweide (forerunner of today's 1. FC Union Berlin) had to find a new home ground as its former pitch had been built over by developers with residential buildings. The club moved a little further away from the city to the north-western part of the borough of Köpenick. The new stadium was officially opened in August 1920 with a match between Oberschöneweide and the then German champions 1. FC Nürnberg (1–2). The inaugural match in at the Alte Försterei had already been played on 17 March, when Union challenged Viktoria 89 Berlin. When Union won promotion to the DDR-Oberliga (the top flight in East Germany) in 1966, the stadium soon needed to be expanded. The ground was first expanded in 1970 when the Gegengerade terrace was raised, whilst further extensions to the terracing at both ends in the late 1970s and early 1980s increased the capacity furthermore to 22,500. However, the somewhatJanuary 2024 how spartan is 'somewhat spartan'? spartan facilities at Alte Försterei had quickly begun to show their age and went into a serious decline. thumb|right|alt=Alte Försterei| The Stadion An der Alten Försterei is the largest single-purpose football stadium in Berlin. After German reunification, when Union were assigned by the German Football Association to play in the third league, the outdated stadium proved only one of a number of factorsJanuary 2024 'proved only one of a number of factors'? what are the other factors? that hamperedJanuary 2024 the club's push for promotion to higher leagues. In the middle of 2008, the club decided to finally modernise the stadium, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei (Old Forester's House). Money was still tight,January 2024 and so the fans simply built the ground themselves. More than 2,000 Union supporters invested 140,000 working hours to create what is now regardedJanuary 2024 as the largest football-specific stadium in Berlin.The Twelfth Man. Retrieved 5 March 2016. During the redevelopment, Union played at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. Inside the stadium an array of outside beer kiosks and open air grills serving bratwurst and pork steaks at the back of the stand provide the culinary staples.January 2024 The official opening on 12 July 2013, was celebrated with a friendly against Scottish Champions Celtic.http://www.altefoersterei.berlin/geschichte/ Geschichte des Stadions An der Alten Försterei History of the stadium An der Alten Försterei AlteFoersterei.berlin Alte Försterei 2 June 2024 de https://web.archive.org/web/20141209110620/http://www.altefoersterei.berlin/geschichte/ 9 December 2014 It holds 22,012 people with 3,617 seats. The rest is terracing. World Cup living room In 2014, the club came up with the idea of inviting their fans to take their own sofas to the ground for the whole of the World Cup, to enjoy the televised matches in the company of fellow supporters.http://www.businessinsider.com/berlin-stadium-living-room-world-cup-2014-6?IR=T A Tiny Berlin Soccer Stadium Is The Best Place in the World To Watch The World Cup Business Insider 5 March 2016 More than 800 sofas were placed on the pitch in rows in front of a big screen.https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28254298 The secret police with its own football team BBC News 12 July 2014 5 March 2016 The event was later recognized with the Fan Experience Award at The Stadium Business Summit 2015 in Barcelona.THE STADIUM BUSINESS AWARDS 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2016. Redevelopments of the Försterei and European Games In 2017, the club announced plans to expand the Försterei from 22,012 to 37,000 with the installation of a new tier across the 3 stands that oppose the main stand. It was announcedJanuary 2024 that the plans should start at the end of the 2023/24 season. However, capacity concerns with local transport infrastructure caused delays to the project, and in November 2025, the club announced that plans would proceed with a revised capacity of 32,500 places, with the Waldseite end and the entire lower bowl remaining standing room only, while more sections would be built initially with seats.The Waldseite Remains Standing 1. FC Union Berlin https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/news/the-waldseite-remains-standing-gXHX3b 2026-09-06 www.fc-union-berlin.de At the same time the club announced that the 2026-27 Bundesliga season would be the final one at the current stadium, with the club playing one season at the Olympiastadion before returning to the expanded Alten Försterei in 2028, the same year when an expanded Köpenick station with additional platforms for regional trains is expected to be completed. In 2021/22, Union Berlin played their UEFA Europa Conference League Games at the Olympiastadion due to UEFA's ban of Terracing, which was lifted in the 2022/23 season in favour of Safe Standing. Union was able to play at the Försterei for the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign. Then, in the Wake of their Qualification to the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League, Dirk Zingler confirmed that Union will be again playing at the Olympiastadion, as well as confirming that the Försterei will be used in the UEFA Youth League. This was not done under UEFA's guidance but rather voluntarily. This is because the demand for tickets exceeded the Försterei's capacity, as demonstrated during the UEFA Champions League season ticket sales: all 120,000 tickets for the 3 home games (40,000 per match) sold out in a single day. Organization thumb|The Alte Försterei (Old foresters house) is the main office of the club. 1. FC Union Berlin is led mostly by fans. Dirk Zingler has served as the club's president since 2004.Dirk Zingler https://web.archive.org/web/20161220071740/http://www.be.berlin.de/25stories/top25/dirk-zingler 20 December 2016 . Retrieved 5 March 2016. The club had 41,088 registered members in 2022.https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/verein/mitgliedschaft/ 1. FC Union Berlin January 2024 President From To Werner Otto 20 June 1966 31 July 1967 Heinz Müller 1 August 1967 31 July 1970 Paul Fettback 1 August 1970 31 October 1973 Heinz Hiillert 1 November 1973 25 November 1975 Günter Mielis 26 November 1975 1 March 1982 Dr. Norbert Woick 2 March 1982 31 October 1983 Klaus Brumm 1 November 1983 20 December 1984 Uwe Piontek 21 December 1984 3 November 1987 Hans-Günther Hansel 4 November 1987 5 June 1990 Gerhard Kalweit 6 June 1990 31 July 1993 Detlef Bracht 17 August 1993 31 July 1994 Horst Kahstein 14 November 1994 September 1997 Heiner Bertram 7 October 1997 12 October 2003 Jürgen Schlebrowski 13 October 2003 30 June 2004 Dirk Zingler 1 July 2004 Sport Management Oliver Ruhnert, since 5 May 2018January 2024 Sponsorships 1. FC Union Berlin is sponsored by around 300 private and corporate partners.January 2024 thumb|upright|Young Union Berlin supporter January 2024 Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 1998/99 Nike Skandia 1999/2000 BSR Gruppe 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 Saller 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 Nike EastWest 2006/07 2007/08 Silicon Sensor 2008/09 do you football 2009/10 kfzteile24 2010/11 2011/12 Uhlsport 2012/13 f.becker 2013/14 2014/15 kfzteile24 2015/16 Macron 2016/17 Layenberger 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Aroundtown 2020/21 Adidas 2021/22 2022/23 Wefox Organizational history January 2024 The organizational history of 1. FC Union Berlin includes several different clubs and names. thumb|right|The organizational history 1. FC Union Berlin (in German). Date Name Note 17 June 1906 FC Olympia Oberschöneweide Founding of FC Olympia Oberschöneweide. 22 July 1906 BTuFC Helgoland, department Oberschöneweide Joined club BTuFC Helgoland as a third team and department in Oberschöneweide. 10 February 1907 BTuFC Union 1892, department Oberschöneweide Joined club BTuFC Union 1892 as a fourth team and department in Oberschöneweide. 20 February 1909 Union Oberschöneweide Joined the football association Verband Berliner Ballspielvereine (VBB) as Union Oberschöneweide, or more precisely SC Union Oberschöneweide. 1945 SG Oberschöneweide SC Union Oberschöneweide was dissolved by the Allied occupation authorities and the club was refounded as SG Oberschöneweide. December 1948 SG Union Oberschöneweide The club was re-admitted under its old club name. 1951 BSG Motor Oberschöneweide Joined with enterprise sports community BSG Motor Oberschöneweide. The team colours are changed from the traditional blue and white to today's characteristic red and white. 1 February 1955 SC Motor Berlin The first team was joined with the new sports club SC Motor Berlin as a football department. 6 June 1957 TSC Oberschöneweide SC Motor Berlin was merged with several enterprise sports communities (BSG) to form sports club TSC Oberschöneweide. 18 February 1963 TSC Berlin Merged with other sports clubs to form TSC Berlin. 20 January 1966 1. FC Union Berlin The football department of TSC Berlin was separated from the sports club and reorganized into a football club. Founding of 1. FC Union Berlin. Players List of 1. FC Union Berlin players Current squad 1 September 2026 https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/fussball/profis-maenner/kader-maenner-F0GX Kader 2026/27 6 July 2023 de 1. FC Union Berlin 1 GK DEN Frederik Rønnow 2 DF GER Felix Uduokhai 3 DF GER Andrik Markgraf 4 DF BEL Zeno Van Den Bosch 5 DF GER Marvin Friedrich 6 MF GER Aljoscha Kemlein 7 FW SCO Oliver Burke 8 MF TUN Rani Khedira vice-captain 9 FW TUR Livan Burcu 11 MF KOR Jeong Woo-yeong 13 MF HUN András Schäfer 14 DF AUT Leopold Querfeld 15 DF GER Tom Rothe 17 DF GHA Derrick Köhn 18 DF CRO Josip Juranović 19 MF GER Janik Haberer 20 MF SUI Michel Aebischer 21 MF GER Tim Skarke 23 FW SRB Andrej Ilić 24 MF DEN Robert Skov 25 GK GER Carl Klaus 27 FW CRO Marin Ljubičić 28 DF AUT Christopher Trimmel captain 29 FW CIV Emmanuel Latte Lath on loan from Atlanta United 30 MF SUI Kastriot Imeri 31 GK GER Matheo Raab 32 FW JAM Mekhi Gray 34 DF FRA Stanley Nsoki 38 FW GER Julien Friedrich 49 MF GER Linus Güther Out on loan DF GER Oluwaseun Ogbemudia at Waldhof Mannheim until 30 June 2027 DF GER Leon Prosche at Erzgebirge Aue until 30 June 2027 MF GER Tim Blaszczak at FSV 63 Luckenwalde until 30 June 2027 FW UKR Dmytro Bohdanov at Energie Cottbus until 30 June 2027 Notable former players January 2024 thumb|Robert Huth left the club's youth system in 2001, joining Chelsea. ALG Karim BenyaminaJanuary 2024 BIH Sergej BarbarezJanuary 2024 BRA Daniel TeixeiraJanuary 2024 CZE Alex Král GER Kevin Behrens GER Christian GentnerJanuary 2024 GER Robin Gosens GER Jörg HeinrichJanuary 2024 GER Robert HuthJanuary 2024 GER Max KruseJanuary 2024 GER Torsten MattuschkaJanuary 2024 GER Sebastian PolterJanuary 2024 GER Marko RehmerJanuary 2024 NOR Julian RyersonJanuary 2024 NGA Taiwo AwoniyiJanuary 2024 SUR Sheraldo BeckerJanuary 2024 SWE Sebastian AnderssonJanuary 2024 USA Bobby WoodJanuary 2024 All-time top scorer ALG Karim Benyamina (87)Karim Benyamina: Union's record goalscorer https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/club/Karim-Benyamina-Union-s-record-goalscorer-126u/ www.fc-union-berlin.de en 2 May 2019 The number 22 will not beJanuary 2024 how is this known for certain? worn on the back of a Union shirt until someone breaks the all-time Union scoring record of Karim Benyamina, who scored 87 goals in 213 appearances for the club. "This is a great gesture by president Dirk Zingler. That is the reward for six successful years," he said in 2016. Over 14,000 fans turned out to give Benyamina his career send-off alongside another legend,January 2024 Torsten Mattuschka, who is often seenJanuary 2024 as the face of that particular era for Union. Reserve team The club's reserve team, 1. FC Union Berlin II, most recently played in the tier four Regionalliga Nordost, having won promotion to the league in 2012. Previous to this, it spent two seasons in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord. At the end of the 2014–15 season, the club withdrew the team from competition.Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv de Historical German domestic league tables. Retrieved 5 March 2016.1. FC Union Berlin II at Fussball.de de Tables and results of all German football leagues. Retrieved 5 March 2016. Women Union Berlin's women's team was formed in September 1969, becoming the first women's team in Berlin and one of the first in East Germany. The women's team initially competed against Union Berlin's youth teams due to a lack of opponents, playing their first game on 17 January 1970, losing 7–1. In 1971, the team were amalgamated into KWO Berlin's women's team, before KWO merged with Union Berlin in June 1990 following German reunification.https://taz.de/Interview-zur-Frauenfussball-WM/!5600306/ We were smiled at back then die Tageszeitung 16 June 2019 3 March 2020 Schwermer Alina Coaching staff 9 July 2026 RoleNameHead coach SUI Mauro LustrinelliAssistant coach SUI Enrico Schirinzi SUI Michel Renggli GER Sascha Stauch GER Sebastian BönigGoalkeeping coach GER Marcel HötteckeAthletic trainer GER Martin KrügerRehab trainer GER Johannes ThienelAssistant coach/Match analyst GER Adrian WittmannTeam doctor GER Dr. Clemens Gwinner AUT Dr. Martin Resl GER Dr. Marvin MinkusSenior physiotherapist GER Maximilian Perschk GER Sven KuhlbrodtPhysiotherapist GER Marcel Möller GER Robert KemnaMasseur GER Thomas RiedelTeam coordination GER Susanne KopplinKit manager GER Dominik WesterfeldTeam supervisor/Bus Driver GER Michael Ruprecht Managerial history January 2024 List of Union Berlin managers since 1965thumb|right|Uwe Neuhaus was the longest-serving manager of Union Berlin East Germany Werner Schwenzfeier 20 January 1965 30 June 1969 East Germany Fritz Gödicke 1 Jul 1969 30 June 1970 East Germany Harald Seeger 1 Jul 1970 30 June 1972 East Germany Ulrich Prüfke 1 Jul 1972 30 June 1974 East Germany Dieter Fietz 1 Jul 1974 6 Dec 1975 East Germany Heini Brüll (caretaker) 7 Dec 1975 31 December 1975 East Germany Heinz Werner 1 Jan 1976 18 July 1982 East Germany Harry Nippert 19 July 1982 30 September 1983 East Germany Karl-Heinz Burwieck 1 Okt. 1983 30 June 1984 East Germany Karl Schäffner 1 Jul 1984 31 December 1987 East Germany Karsten Heine 1 Jan 1988 9 Apr 1990 East Germany Gerd Struppert (caretaker) 10 April 1990 30 June 1990 East Germany Werner Voigt 1 Jul 1990 3 Jun 1992 Germany Gerhard Körner (caretaker) 4 Jun 1992 30 June 1992 Germany Frank Pagelsdorf 1 Jul 1992 30 June 1994 Germany Frank Engel 1 Jul 1994 25 January 1995 Germany Hans Meyer 26 January 1995 2 Oct 1995 Germany Eckhard Krautzun 3 Oct 1995 24 March 1996 Germany Frank Vogel (caretaker) 25 March 1996 10 April 1996 Germany Karsten Heine 11 April 1996 25 September 1997 Germany Frank Vogel 26 September 1997 14 December 1997 Germany Ingo Weniger 2 Jan 1998 30 September 1998 Germany Fritz Fuchs 30 September 1998 1 Jun 1999 Bulgaria Georgi Vasilev 1 Jul 1999 12 October 2002 Bulgaria Ivan Tischanski (caretaker) 13 October 2002 5 Nov 2002 Germany Miroslav Votava 6 Nov 2002 24 March 2004 Bosnia and Herzegovina Aleksandar Ristić 25 March 2004 30 June 2004 Germany Frank Wormuth 1 Jul 2004 27 September 2004 Germany Werner Voigt 28 September 2004 9 Dec 2004 Germany Lothar Hamann/Germany Holger Wortmann (caretakers) 10 December 2004 19 December 2004 Germany Frank Lieberam 20 December 2004 9 Dec 2005 Bulgaria Georgi Vasilev 13 December 2005 5 Apr 2006 Germany Christian Schreier 6 Apr 2006 19 June 2007 Germany Uwe Neuhaus 20 June 2007 12 May 2014 Germany Norbert Düwel 1 July 2014 31 August 2015 Germany Sascha Lewandowski 1 September 2015 4 March 2016 Germany André Hofschneider (caretaker) 5 March 2016 30 June 2016 Germany Jens Keller 1 July 2016 4 December 2017 Germany André Hofschneider 4 December 2017 20 May 2018 Switzerland Urs Fischer 1 June 2018 15 November 2023 Germany Marco Grote (caretaker) 15 November 2023 26 November 2023 Croatia Nenad Bjelica 26 November 2023 6 May 2024 Germany Marco Grote (caretaker) 6 May 2024 30 June 2024 Denmark Bo Svensson 1 July 2024 27 December 2024 Germany Steffen Baumgart 2 January 2025 11 April 2026 Germany Marie-Louise Eta (caretaker) 12 April 2026 20 May 2026 Switzerland Mauro Lustrinelli 21 May 2026 present European record January 2024 1. FC Union Berlin in European football Overview January 2024 Competition S Seasons Pld Matches played W Matches won D Matches drawn L Matches lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference UEFA Champions League 1 6 0 2 4 6 10 −4 UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup 2 14 6 4 4 14 13 +1 UEFA Europa Conference League 1 8 3 2 3 12 9 +3 Intertoto Cup 2 12 5 2 5 15 12 +3 Total 6 40 14 10 16 47 44 +3 Matches January 2024 Union Berlin score listed first. Season Competition Round Opposition Home Away Agg. 1967–68 Intertoto Cup Group B7 DEN KB 0–3 0–1 3rd place POL Katowice 3–0 0–1 CSK Union Teplice 0–1 1–1 1986–87 Intertoto Cup Group 2 FRG Bayer Uerdingen 3–2 0–3 1st place SUI Lausanne-Sport 1–0 1–1 BEL Standard Liège 4–1 2–1 2001–02 UEFA Cup 1R FIN Haka 3–0 1–1 4–1 2R BUL Litex Lovech 0–2 0–0 0–2 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League PO FIN KuPS 0–0 4–0 4–0 Group E CZE Slavia Prague 1–1 1–3 3rd place NED Feyenoord 1–2 1–3 ISR Maccabi Haifa 3–0 1–0 2022–23 UEFA Europa League Group D BEL Union Saint-Gilloise 0–1 1–0 2nd place POR Braga 1–0 0–1 Sweden Malmö FF 1–0 1–0 KRPO NED Ajax 3–1 0–0 3–1 R16 BEL Union Saint-Gilloise 3–3 0–3 3–6 2023–24 UEFA Champions League Group C ESP Real Madrid 2–3 0–1 4th place POR Braga 2–3 1–1 ITA Napoli 0–1 1–1 UEFA club coefficient ranking As of 2 May 2026Source:UEFA rankings https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club live https://web.archive.org/web/20170320224158/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/index.html 20 March 2017 9 September 2015 UEFA Rank Team Points88ENG Leicester City23.95289SLO NK Celje23.00090GER Union Berlin23.00091POL Raków22.25092POL Jagiellonia22.000 Player records January 2024 Most appearances January 2024 Competitive, professional matches only. Up to date as of 24 September 2024 Questionable statistics January 2023 RankPlayerYearsLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotal1AUT Christopher Trimmel2014–present293231913362DDR Lutz Hendel1968–19842974603073GER Tom Persich1994–200628514403034GER Torsten Mattuschka2005–20142729002815GER Michael Parensen2009–202023413022496GER Jan Glinker2002–20142324002367GER Christian Stuff2006–20142145002198GER Ronny Nikol1997–200320011412169DDR GER Frank Placzek1987–199719230119610ALG Karim Benyamina2005–2011189300192 Top goalscorers January 2024 Competitive, professional matches only. Up to date as of 24 September 2024 Questionable statistics January 2023 RankPlayerYearsLeagueCupEuropeTotal (Apps)Ratio1POL Jacek Mencel1990–1994660066 (118)22ALG Karim Benyamina2005–2011620062 (192)23GER Torsten Mattuschka2005–2014601061 (281)24BIH Sergej Barbarez1993–1996480048 (92)25BRA Daniel Teixeira2001, 2005–2007470047 (68)26GER Sebastian Polter2014–2015, 2017–2020442046 (104)27MKD Goran Markov1993–1995431044 (83)2GER Nico Patschinski1994–1998, 2006–2009431044 (140)29GER Steffen Menze1998–2003382040 (164)210GER Matthias Zimmerling1991–1994, 1997–1998370037 (92)2 Club culture Culture in Berlin 1. FC Union Berlin has gained a reputation as a "cult" club in European football due to many unique fan and club initiatives over the past two decades.Soccer on ESPN – Scores, Stats and Highlights https://www.espn.com/soccer/ 13 March 2026 ESPN.com enhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZVpxh0Jb0U Six Clubs You Have To Visit Before You Die – Football Bucket List 5 March 2016 COPA90 Football 13 March 2026 YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd9UDyu8E98 Sausages and Caviar Football Magazine – 1.FC Union Berlin 1 January 2014 Sausages and Caviar 13 March 2026 YouTube The nicknames of the club are Eiserne (the Iron Ones) or Eisern Union (Iron Union). These nicknames evolved from the earlier sobriquet Schlosserjungs (metalworker boys), a reference to the blue kit the Union played in, as it was reminiscent of the overalls worn by local workers.7 Things You Need To Know About Union Berlin. Retrieved 5 March 2016. In May 2004, the supporters raised enough money to secure the club's license for fourth-division football through a campaign called 'Bleed for Union'."I've given my blood for Union". Retrieved 5 March 2016. This catchphrase was not meant metaphorically. One element of the campaign was that fans donated blood to Berlin hospitals and then gave the money they received from the blood bank to their club. After 2010, Union Berlin became increasingly attractive for new Berliners, even internationals, who were drawn to the atmosphere at the club.The Fans Who Literally Built Their Club – Union Berlin, Copa90 Channel. Retrieved 24 March 2016. In 2023, Rootz Ltd entertainment brand Wildz became a premier sponsor of the club.https://www.kongebonus.com/nyheter/bundesligaklubben-1-union-berlin-fc-gar-wildz/ Bundesligaklubben 1. Union Berlin FC går Wildz Raknes Eskil 5 March 2024 Kongebonus 16 May 2024 Wildz is the sister brand to Wheelz, a platform that features The Hoff, an entertainment figure who also enjoys cult status in Germany. Rivalries Berlin derby During the East German era, 1. FC Union Berlin was known for a rivalry with BFC Dynamo, which was reputedly affiliated with the powerful state security service of East Germany (Stasi). Union, on the other hand, was supported by the regional district management of the ruling SED party and sponsored by local state-owned enterprises. The club played some identificatory role in the unofficial opposition against the authorities of the communist system.K. Farin/H. Hauswald: Die dritte Halbzeit, 1993, pp. 5–14. Between 1979 and 1988, BFC Dynamo won ten consecutive East German league titles, with popular allegations of sporting misconduct helping to fuel the rivalry, and clashes between both sets of fans occurred.The story of FC Union Berlin, the cult club you all wish you supported https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/story-fc-union-berlin-cult-club-wish-supported/ Planet Football 14 September 2017 8 August 2019 BFC Dynamo was seen as the supreme representative of the security agencies, with advantages in the recruitment of players and financial support, as well as the political clout of Erich Mielke. An expression among the supporters of Union Berlin was: "Better to be a loser than a stupid Stasi pig".Stier Sebastian 22 July 2011 Stasi-Affäre: Wie eisern ist Union? https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/zweite-liga-stasi-affaere-wie-eisern-ist-union/4423884.html de Der Tagesspiegel Berlin Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH 5 April 2021 Supporters of Union cultivated the image of their club as the eternal underdog that was firmly rooted in the working class.Tomilson Young Alan Christopher 2006 German Football: History, Culture, Society Abingdon-on-Thames 1st Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group 54 0-415-35195-2 Union became the most popular club in East Berlin.Wyschek Helmut 1999 Erich Mielke, soll unser Führer sein https://telegraph.cc/archiv/telegraph-3-1999/erich-mielke-soll-unser-fuehrer-sein/ Telegraph (De) de Berlin Prenzlberg Dokumentation e.V. 3 1999 27 December 2019 It is said that fans of 1. FC Union Berlin often chanted "The wall must go!", with a reference to the Berlin Wall, when the opponents formed a wall during free kicks in the 1980s. However, some sources suggest that this is partly a myth and exaggerated.Glaser Joakim 2015 Fotboll från Mielke till Merkel – Kontinuitet, brott och förändring i supporterkultur i östra Tyskland Football from Mielke to Merkel 1st sv Malmö Arx Förlag AB 167–168 978-91-87043-61-1 Grimm Christian 8 November 2014 "Wir waren keine Revolutionäre" – die Wende und der Ostfußball https://www.wsj.com/articles/wir-waren-keine-revolutionare-die-wende-und-der-ostfuball-1415445589 de The Wall Street Journal New York City 22 November 2020 nb A former Stasi employee, who was one of two employees responsible for monitoring the supporter scene of Union Berlin, claims that he never heard such chants himself, and that they would not have intervened with such chants anyway. Chants were only noted in their reports and classified among themselves: if they came from someone they had to worry about or if it was just someone venting their frustration.Leue Gunnar 22 January 2015 Was macht die Staatsmacht jetzt?" – Ein ehemaliger Stasi-Mann über Berliner "Fußballrowdys https://11freunde.de/artikel/was-macht-die-staatsmacht-jetzt/587020 de 11 Freunde Berlin 11FREUNDE Verlag GmbH & Co. KG Wenn im Stadion Sprechchöre kamen wie „Die Mauer muss weg“? Die habe ich selbst nie gehört. Aber bei solchen Sprechchören wurde noch nicht eingegriffen. Das wurde in unseren Berichten notiert und unter uns eingeordnet: Kommt das von einer Person, um die wir uns Sorgen machen müssen oder hat da nur einer seinen Frust abgelassen. The Stasi also had two employees responsible for monitoring the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo in the same way. Supporters of Union saw themselves as stubborn and non-conformist. But this image should not be confused with actual resistance.https://www.bstu.de/informationen-zur-stasi/themen/beitrag/schild-und-schwert-des-bfc-dynamo/#c14789 "Schild und Schwert" des BFC Dynamo n.d. bstu.de Berlin Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic de 12 December 2020 For some supporters of Union, the dissident reputation is a legend that was created after Die Wende.MacDougall Alan 2014 The People's Game: Football, State and Society in East Germany Cambridge 1st Cambridge University Press 242 978-1-107-05203-1 Honorary president of Union Günter Mielis has said: "Union was not a club of resistance fighters, but we had to fight against a lot of political and economic resistance over and over again. We got strength from our fans".https://www.bpb.de/geschichte/zeitgeschichte/deutschlandarchiv/301246/vom-mauerbluemchen-zum-fussball-leuchtturm Vom Mauerblümchen zum Fußball-Leuchtturm Koch Matthuas 28 November 2019 bpb.de Bonn Federal Agency for Civic Education de 5 April 2021 'Union war kein Club von Widerstandskämpfern, aber wir mussten immer wieder gegen viele politische und ökonomische Widerstände ankämpfen. Kraft holten wir uns von unseren Fans', sagt Unions Ehrenpräsident Günter Mielis. Politics was not in the foreground. Most supporters of Union were just normal football supporters.Willmann Frank 2013 Stadionpartisanen nachgeladen. Fans und Hooligans in der DDR. 1st Berlin nofb-shop.de, Sole trader: Stephan Trosien 382–383 978-3-00-039788-2 Die Masse der Unioner war normale Fans ... Unioner waren schon pfiffig. Aber man sollte keine Widerstandskämpfer daraus machen. Provokationen gehörten in Fußball dazu. Und es wurde eben auch das gerufe, wofür man ncht gleich mitgenommen werden konnte. There were no political groups at Union. A supporter of Union from the East German era has said: "With the best of intentions, Union fans did not contribute to the overthrow of the GDR. No way, we were interested in football. There is the cliché about the club for the enemies of the state, but that wasn't us".Willmann Frank 2013 Stadionpartisanen nachgeladen. Fans und Hooligans in der DDR. 1st Berlin nofb-shop.de, Sole trader: Stephan Trosien 147 978-3-00-039788-2 Unionfans haben beim besten Willen keinen Beitrag zum Sturz der DDR geleistet. Auf keinen Fall, wir warn am Fußball interessiert. Es gibt das Klischee vom Club der Staatsfeinde, aber das waren wir nicht. Another supporter said: "I think it's a myth that all Unioners were in the opposition. I think it was a basic attitude of the East German football youth in the 1970s and 1980s, that they were critical of the system."Willmann Frank 2013 Stadionpartisanen nachgeladen. Fans und Hooligans in der DDR. 1st Berlin nofb-shop.de, Sole trader: Stephan Trosien 92 978-3-00-039788-2 Ich halte es für eine Mär, dass nur alle Unioner Opposition waren. Ich glaube, es war eine Grundeinstellung der DDR-Fußballjugend in der 70ern und 80ern, dass sie kritisch zum System stand. Supporters of Union from the East German era have testified that the club was the most important thing, and the identification with Union had primarily to do with Köpenick.Glaser Joakim 2015 Fotboll från Mielke till Merkel – Kontinuitet, brott och förändring i supporterkultur i östra Tyskland Football from Mielke to Merkel 1st sv Malmö Arx Förlag AB 131–132, 171–172 978-91-87043-61-1 Despite 1. FC Union Berlin and Hertha BSC making up the two biggest clubs in Berlin, a rivalry between the two has been much less pronounced. Sympathies between supporters of the two clubs developed in divided Berlin. The first personal contacts between supporters of the two clubs occurred in the 1970s.https://www.bpb.de/geschichte/zeitgeschichte/deutschlandarchiv/199829/fussball-verbindet-hertha-bsc-und-der-1-fc-union-vor-und-nach-1990 Fußball verbindet? Hertha BSC (West-Berlin) und der 1. FC Union (Ost-Berlin) vor und nach 1990 Wojtaszyn Dariusz 27 January 2016 bpb.de Bonn Federal Agency for Civic Education de 12 December 2020 Supporters of Hertha visited the Stadion An der Alten Försterei and supporters of Union accompanied the supporters of Hertha when Hertha played in the Eastern Bloc countries, such as the quarter finals in the 1978–79 UEFA Cup against Dukla Prague.Braun Wiese Jutta René 7 June 2019 Hertha und Union – eine Nation https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/freundschaft-ueber-die-mauer-hinweg-hertha-und-union-eine-nation/7083912.html de Der Tagesspiegel Berlin Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH 30 May 2021 Chants and slogans such as "Ha-Ho-He, there are only two teams on the Spree – Union and Hertha BSC" (de Ha-Ho-He, es gibt nur zwei Mannschaften an der Spree – Union und Hertha BSC) and "Hertha and Union – one nation" (de Hertha und Union – eine Nation) became popular among the two sets of supporters. The two sets of supporters came together for the first time after the opening of the Berlin Wall during the first edition of the indoor tournament "Internationales Berliner Hallenfußballturnier" in the Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle on 18–20 January 1990.https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/berliner-derby-als-union-zum-ersten-mal-gegen-hertha-spielte.966.de.html?dram:article_id=461939 Berliner Derby: Als Union zum ersten Mal gegen Hertha spielte Wheeler Thomas 27 October 2019 deutschlandfunkkultur.de Cologne Deutschlandradio de 21 February 2021 Supporters of Union and Hertha now also sang xenophobic and nationalist chants.Lieske Matti 22 January 1990 Hurra, hurra, die Stasi, die ist da https://taz.de/!1783873/ de Die Tageszeitung taz Verlags u. Vertriebs GmbH Berlin 4 January 2020 The teams of Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin also met in the tournament on 19 January 1990. It was the first ever meeting between the two sides. Hertha BSC won the match 3–2 in front of 4,000 spectators in Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle.Schlichting Sebastian 4 December 2020 Das erste Derby zwischen Hertha und Union ist kaum bekannt: Große Emotionen in der Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/das-erste-derby-zwischen-hertha-und-union-ist-kaum-bekannt-grosse-emotionen-in-der-werner-seelenbinder-halle/26684886.html de Der Tagesspiegel Berlin Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH 21 February 2021 On 27 January 1990, 79 days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Hertha hosted Union Berlin at the Olympiastadion in a friendly in front of 52,000 spectators. Fans of both clubs paid for admission in East and West Germany's respective currencies, and sang songs of German reunification, as Hertha won 2–1. Over twenty years later, on 17 September 2010, the duo faced each other for the first time in a competitive meeting, at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, drawing 1–1 in the 2. Bundesliga.A Tale of One City: Berlin https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/02/20/a-tale-of-one-city-berlin/ These Football Times 20 February 2018 8 August 2019 On 2 November 2019, Union Berlin faced Hertha at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, in the first meeting between the clubs in German football's top flight. An 87th minute Sebastian Polter penalty secured a 1–0 win for Union, in a game temporarily suspended by referee Deniz Aytekin, following fireworks thrown by Hertha fans, which landed amongst Union Berlin fans, as well as on the playing surface. 1,100 police officers were on duty for the game, with Hertha fans burning Union Berlin shirts, flags and scarves during the game. https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-consent/?destination=%2fsports%2fdcunited%2funion-berlin-fans-celebrate-goalkeeper-for-stopping-ultras%2f2019%2f11%2f04%2f462cb3f8-ff23-11e9-8341-cc3dce52e7de_story.html%3f Union Berlin fans celebrate goalkeeper for stopping ultras 4 November 2019 7 November 2019 The Washington Post Hertha supporters had also been joined by 20–25 supporters of BFC Dynamo in the guest block. 9 November 2019 Kampfsportler in der Kurve https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/die-fanszene-von-hertha-bsc-kampfsportler-in-der-kurve/25207626.html de Der Tagesspiegel Berlin Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH 5 December 2020 Following full time, Union Berlin goalkeeper Rafał Gikiewicz won praise from fans and media alike after ushering Union Berlin ultras from the field of play, following a minor pitch invasion devised to attack Hertha supporters. Union Berlin also holds rivalries with Hansa Rostock,http://www.spiegel.de/video/union-berlin-gegen-hansa-rostock-ost-derby-in-der-2-bundesliga-video-1017862.html Union Berlin gegen Hansa Rostock Ost-Derby in der 2. Bundesliga 21 August 2009 Der Spiegel de Dynamo Dresden,Dynamo Dresden host former GDR rivals Union Berlin http://fussballstadt.com/dresden-vs-union-berlin-bundesliga-2-1819/ Fussballstadt 5 April 2019 8 August 2019 21 September 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230921075103/http://www.fussballstadt.com/dresden-vs-union-berlin-bundesliga-2-1819/ dead and Magdeburg, dating to when the teams competed in the DDR-Oberliga.Union Berlin fans savouring Bundesliga promotion bid https://www.apnews.com/58891a61429b48cfb2901036269a47cc Associated Press News 13 May 2019 8 August 2019 More recently, the club has developed a rivalry with RB Leipzig, following the takeover of license and teams from fifth division side SSV Markranstädt financed by Red Bull GmbH and the ascension by Leipzig to the Bundesliga system. In 2011, Union Berlin ran adverts against the investment of the club whilst also cancelling a pre-season friendly with the club. On 21 September 2014, Union Berlin fans staged a silent protest for the first 15 minutes of a 2. Bundesliga home game against RB Leipzig, labelling RB Leipzig a "marketing product pushed by financial interests" with "brainwashed consumers in the stands". Union Berlin won the game 2–1.RB Leipzig met with 15 minutes' silence from 20,000 Union Berlin fans https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/sep/22/rb-leipzig-germany-red-bull-fans The Guardian 22 September 2014 8 August 2019 On 18 August 2019, during Union Berlin's first ever Bundesliga game, at home against RB Leipzig, the club's oldest ultras group, the Wuhlesyndikat, successfully called for a 15-minute silent protest at the start of the club's 2019–20 opener.Bundesliga club Union Berlin: Between idealism and reality https://www.dw.com/en/bundesliga-club-union-berlin-between-idealism-and-reality/a-50026731 Deutsche Welle 16 August 2019 18 August 2019 Songs The official Union Berlin song is "Eisern Union" by German punk singer Nina Hagen.Eisern Union Chords by Nina Hagen, Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 5 March 2016. The composition was recorded in 1998,https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/union-live/latest-news/club/Union-song-celebrates-landmark-birthday-77P/ Union song celebrates landmark birthday 14 November 2018 FC-Union-Berlin.de 1. FC Union Berlin 2 June 2024 with an intro added in 2006 using the opening of Rammstein's song Rammstein.Die Klubhymne 'Eisern Union!' Wird Vorgestellt The Club Anthem 'Eisern Union!' is Presented 1. FC Union Berlin de 14 November 2023 https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/union-live/news/verein/Die-Klubhymne-Eisern-Union-wird-vorgestellt-3272P/ 7 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240607205431if_/https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/union-live/news/verein/Die-Klubhymne-Eisern-Union-wird-vorgestellt-3272P/ 7 June 2024 live Four versions were issued on a CD single by G.I.B Music and Distribution GmbH. The famousJanuary 2024 supporters' chant 'Eisern Union' (Iron Union) bounces back and forth between the terraces named Waldseite and the Gegengerade, and is followed by mutual acknowledging applause.1.FC Union Berlin: Our love, our team, our pride, our club. Retrieved 5 March 2016. Christmas tradition Union Berlin is also well known for its Christmas traditions celebrated in their home stadium.FC Union Berlin: a remarkable club with their very own Christmas tradition. Retrieved 5 March 2016. In 2003, the yearly Union Weihnachtssingen started as an unofficial gathering to which just 89 fans showed up. In 2013, 27,500 people attended, including players and supporters of other teams from around Germany and Europe. Fans drink Glühwein (mulled wine), wave candles around, light flares and sing a combination of Christmas carols and football chants.Watch 27,000 Union Berlin football fans gather in stadium to sing Christmas carols, Mirror. Retrieved 24 March 2016. Mascot Ritter Keule (literally: Cudgel the Knight) is the mascot of Union Berlin.Union Berlin Training. Retrieved 16 March 2016. He was first introduced in 2000.Ritter Keule Steckbrief https://web.archive.org/web/20160328074405/http://www.fc-union-berlin.de/fans/ritter-keule/steckbrief/ 28 March 2016 . Retrieved 16 March 2016. Movies and games Union fürs Leben (Union for life) is a 2014 documentary film that showcases the supporters passion for 1. FC Union Berlin.Union fürs Leben. Retrieved 16 March 2016. Honours Domestic thumb|right| The team celebrates their Berlin Cup victory at the Köpenick town hall in 2007. German Football Championship Runners-up: 1923fn1 DDR-Liga Nord (II) Winners: 1965–66, 1969–70 Runners-up: 1963–64fn2 DDR-Liga B (II) Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1980–81, 1981–82 DDR-Liga A (II) Winners: 1984–85, 1990–91 Runners-up: 1989–90 3. Liga (III) Winners 2008–09 II. DDR-Liga I (III) Winners: 1961–62fn3 DFB-Pokal Runners-up: 2000–01 FDGB-Pokal: Winners: 1967–68 Runners-up: 1985–86 Notes fn1 Won by SC Union Oberschöneweide. fn2 Won by TSC Berlin. fn3 Won by TSC Oberschöneweide. Regional Berlin/Brandenburg Champions (−1933) Winners: 1920,fn1fn2 VBB-Verbandsliga, organized by football association Verband Brandenburgischer Ballspielvereine (VBB).http://www.fussball-historie.de/Berlin/VBB1920.html Verband Brandenburgischer Ballspielvereine Berlin-Brandenburg 1920 Association of Brandenburg Ball Game Clubs Berlin-Brandenburg 1920 Fussball-Historie.de Hirshen's Fussballseiten 2 June 2024 de 27 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200127012152/http://www.fussball-historie.de/Berlin/VBB1920.html dead 1923fn1fn3 VBB-Oberliga, organized by football association Verband Brandenburgischer Ballspielvereine (VBB).http://www.f-archiv.de/ Verbandsliga Berlin-Brandenburg 1922/23 F-Archiv.de Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv 2 June 2024 de Runners-up: 1917,fn1fn2 1925fn1fn3http://www.f-archiv.de/ Verbandsliga Berlin-Brandenburg 1924/25 F-Archiv.de Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv 2 June 2024 de Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg: Winners: 1940fn1 Oberliga Berlin (1945–63): Winners: 1947–48fn4 Won by SG Oberschöneweide. Runners-up: 1949–50fn4http://www.f-archiv.de/ Oberliga Berlin 1949/50 F-Archiv.de Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv 2 June 2024 de NOFV-Oberliga Mitte (III) Winners: 1991–92,http://www.f-archiv.de/ Oberliga Nordost Staffel Mitte 1991/92 F-Archiv.de Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv 2 June 2024 de 1992–93, 1993–94 Regionalliga Nordost (III) Winners: 1999–2000 Runners-up: 1995–96 Regionalliga Nord (III) Winners: 2000–01https://www.dfb.de/maenner-regionalliga/regionalliga-nord/spieltagtabelle/?no_cache=1&spieledb_path=%2Fdatencenter%2Fregionalliga-nord%2F2000-2001%2Fcurrent Regionalliga Nord DFB.de 18 March 2014 Deutscher Fussball-Bund 2 June 2024 de NOFV-Oberliga Nord (IV) Winner: 2005–06http://www.f-archiv.de/ Oberliga Nordost, Staffel Nord 2005/06 F-Archiv.de Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv 2 June 2024 de Berlin Cup (Tiers III–VII) Winners: 1947,fn4 1948,fn4 1994, 2007, 2009January 2024 Runners-up: 1926,fn1 1997http://www.die-fans.de/no_statistik/index_historie.php?d=berlinpokal Berliner Pokalendspiele Berlin Cup finals Die-Fans.de Die Fans 2 June 2024 de Notes fn1 Won by SC Union Oberschöneweide. Youth East German Youth Championship (Jugendmeisterschaften der DDR (Fußball) de)fn1 Runners-up: 1985,January 2024 1988January 2024 East German Junior Cup (Junge Welt-Pokal) (Junge Welt-Pokal de)fn2 Winners: 1960fn3January 2024 Notes fn1 Corresponds to U17 level.January 2024 fn2 Corresponds to U19 level.January 2024 fn3 Won by TSC Oberschöneweide.January 2024 Seasons List of 1. FC Union Berlin seasons January 2024 Further reading Böttcher, Jan; Willmann, Frank. (2017). Alles auf Rot: Der 1. FC Union Berlin (in German), Berlin: Blumenbar. 978-3-351-05046-7 . Holden, Kit. (2022). Scheisse! We're Going Up!: The Unexpected Rise of Berlin's Rebel Football Club. London: Duckworth. 978-0715654439 . Koch, Matthias. (2013). "Immer weiter – ganz nach vorn": Die Geschichte des 1. FC Union Berlin (in German). Göttingen: Die Werkstatt. 978-3730700495 . Luther, Jörn; Willmann, Frank. (2001). Und niemals vergessen – Eisern Union! (in German). Berlin: BasisDruck. 978-3861631262 . See also Football in Germany Football in Berlin Sport in Berlin Explanatory notes nb References External links Documentary "Friday's at the 'Green Hell'" (1989) at the Federal Agency for Civic Education de Category:Football clubs in Germany Category:Football clubs in East Germany Union 1. FC Category:Association football clubs established in 1966 Category:1966 establishments in East Germany Category:Bundesliga clubs Category:2. Bundesliga clubs Category:3. Liga clubs