Bundesliga
Grumpy and angry: Union worried about spicy premiere
In his opinion, there is not just one reason for Union’s crisis: Oliver Ruhnert. photo
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
Union Berlin has to put an end to a completely messed up month as quickly as possible. Because there isn’t even time for proper training before the special Champions League home game.
First Champions League home game
And the situation is anything but pleasant. Before the game against Sporting Braga, which Union will play on Tuesday (6.45 p.m./DAZN) in Hertha’s unpopular Olympic Stadium, the pressure to succeed is growing more and more. After years of pure luck, the term “sports crisis” is making the rounds at Union for the first time in a long time. “Every defeat hurts. It’s important to get a sense of success again. It’s the accusation that we have to put up with,” complained Fischer.
Since the club brought in top-class professionals such as national player Robin Gosens, European champion Leonardo Bonucci and striker Kevin Volland in the summer, there have been increasing frustrations at Union. The angry Gosens walked through the narrow catacombs of the Heidenheim stadium on Saturday, swearing. Bonucci, who was substituted again, also didn’t have his best day. Volland was still under suspension. The impressive new additions, which football Germany was still amazed at in the summer, have not yet brought a real Champions League feeling.
Ruhnert complains about failures
Manager Ruhnert sees the current failures of long-standing top performers as a reason for the sadness. “A change requires reliable players. We don’t have a very important central player in Rani Khedira. We have Robin Knoche, who is out. The whole change has just been passed on to the players who have just joined,” said Ruhnert at “Bild” with a view to the new additions around Bonucci and Gosens. Knoche is not expected to return against Braga either.
Union currently not only has the longest winless streak in the Fischer era. The club also fell behind Heidenheim after losing 1-0 thanks to a dream goal from Jan-Niklas Beste. “Then you’re standing there again and have to explain yourself,” said Fischer with a fair amount of perplexity.
Pressure in international competition
Union is also under pressure against Braga in the premier class after the brave 0-1 opening win at Real Madrid. But Fischer doesn’t have much time to prepare. “What can you do? They won’t train much,” said the Swiss, referring to the regular line-up, which will be called upon again a good 72 hours after Heidenheim. “That’s why we won’t have a unity in which we go towards the goal. Above all, it’s important to show the positive actions from today.”
Captain Christopher Trimmel seemed a bit disillusioned when he spoke about the club’s current list of shortcomings. “It doesn’t quite fit at the back and front,” said the 36-year-old. The many mistakes, the poor utilization of opportunities, the next upheaval and the lack of self-confidence: all of this leads to the current low. Trimmel sees it as positive that the Champions League will continue on Tuesday. “That’s the nice thing about the double burden: you don’t have much time to think about it. It wasn’t all bad.”