Union Berlin in the Bundesliga: collective with a unique culture – sport

The Alte Försterei was celebrating long before Grischa Prömel even shot at goal. In the 21st minute, the ball rolled in the direction of the side after a cross from Union Berlin that was too long, apparently everyone had come to terms with it – except Prömel. He started to sprint, just got the ball and was loudly celebrated by the audience for his effort. The Köpenick spectators are quite unique in the way they can euphorically support their team, even when it comes to sprints on the touchline. If so, they were immediately rewarded.

Prömel got the ball, played a pass, for a moment he was lost to Eintracht Frankfurt, then Union conquered the ball again – and it was again the 27-year-old who shot it quickly and powerfully from 16 meters into the far corner. Union Berlin’s 2-0 was a goal with a calculated probability of just one percent, but Prömel pointed out a possible statistical error afterwards: “Did it also take into account that today is Easter Sunday?” asked the Sunday goal scorer.

The midfielder’s 2-0 was also the final score in an impressively one-sided game: Union Berlin could have made it 2-0 up a few more times in the first half after Taiwo Awoniyi’s opening goal (17th minute) and Prömels: Rani Khedira came on best opportunities, Prömel too, and goalscorer Awoniyi could have scored 3-0. “The result should be higher from my point of view,” said Union coach Urs Fischer. At this point it should be pointed out that the Berliners did not play against just any team, but against the sensational Barcelona winners from Frankfurt, who came to Berlin fresh from a Friday beach party after their Europa League semifinals.

Glasner takes the Frankfurt performance on his cap

Eintracht also seemed correspondingly tired. At times, Oliver Glasner’s team could hardly find a way out of their own half, it lasted until the second half: Only then did Frankfurt catch itself, had more possession of the ball, but didn’t seem too creative in creating chances. Glasner protected his players: “I take that on my cap 100 percent,” he said: “After the last few weeks and everything that’s happened here, I haven’t been able to prepare the boys in such a way that we can do this reach today.”

His counterpart, the Swiss fisherman, used the press conference again to congratulate his Austrian colleague on the international success and to wish him all the best for the semifinals. In the stadium, the Union supporters had even applauded the Eintracht fans for their commitment to Barcelona during the week. Only then revealed Rani Khedira in an interview that behind the friendly Köpenicker congratulatory culture there was also a bit of tactics: “We said they first have to get to the old forester’s office and we’ll bring them back to earth a bit,” said Khedira. Eintracht was “overrun” in the first half, but that was also the plan.

The fact that Union Berlin is now a Bundesliga club that can roll over other Bundesliga clubs in a playful way is testimony to the impressive development that Fischer’s team has made this season. Especially at home, the Köpenickers are hard to beat, they won 31 out of 47 points at the Alte Försterei. Union looks brave and aggressive as ever, but also matured – Max Kruse’s surprising winter farewell is not even noticeable. Berlin is a collective where individual class is not as decisive as elsewhere.

“It’s unbelievable how the Unioners live their club,” says Prömel – and still goes

Grischa Prömel, who played his best personal Bundesliga season in midfield and has already scored nine goals, knows that too. His departure in the summer is already certain, he will go to his former youth club TSG Hoffenheim. Prömel’s change will be painful for both sides: “In any case, it’s a shame when you see what’s going on here week after week,” said the native of Stuttgart after the fans had celebrated him and his colleagues extensively after the final whistle. It almost seemed as if Prömel would regret his move before it even happened. In any case, he will miss the culture: “It’s incredible how the Unioners live their club.”

But from a purely sporting point of view, it could also mean a departure from Europe: Union has now moved ahead of TSG Hoffenheim in the table, and the ambitious tactic of naming Europe as a goal has worked so far. “Let’s see after the 34th matchday what it was enough for,” said Fischer soothingly. The sovereign 2:0 in the home game was still not enough to fully satisfy the coach. He called the second half, in which Union left the ball to Frankfurt, “passive” and did not see it as a rest for the cup semifinals on Wednesday against RB Leipzig.

“I don’t think we were able to save energy because we were more chasing the ball,” said Fischer. You need twice the performance from the first half in the cup, there was agreement between the coach and the players – which means that after the Europa League semi-finalists Frankfurt, Leipzig must also expect to be overrun by Union in the worst case.

source site