Bundesliga: Union relies on Fischer and solidarity despite the crisis

The chants in the stands in the An der Alten Försterei stadium did not give any indication of the twelfth defeat in a row, but the look in the faces of the Union Berlin professionals and coach Urs Fischer certainly did. Even after the painful 3-0 loss against Eintracht Frankfurt, the players and coach were celebrated.

The relegation battle has arrived in Köpenick. The club and supporters seem determined that this can be overcome together – and especially with Fischer. “Great, it also describes the Union’s solidarity. It’s not just told, it’s also lived,” said the Swiss after the game with a mixture of emotion and astonishment.

Difficult tasks await

In terms of sport, the turnaround will also be difficult in the coming games. In the Champions League we go to SSC Napoli on Wednesday. The unbeaten league leaders Bayer Leverkusen await in the league on Sunday.

The debate about Fischer’s future? Just a media issue, as emphasized in the stands in tones ranging from demanding to insulting. The management also tried to ensure clarity before the game. President Dirk Zingler unequivocally supported Fischer in the stadium magazine and on Sky.

A move away from that after just one game seems unlikely, and Fischer himself isn’t thinking about retiring either. “I’m ready to fight,” said the Swiss on ARD.

Trimmel: “At some point we’ll get the hang of it”

“We don’t go to football, we go to Union” is a popular saying in the east of the capital. The fact that the Unioners are offensively promoting this perceived uniqueness has not only made them friends in the rest of football Germany in recent years. But even if you look at it objectively, it is extraordinary how people in Köpenick react to the long series of negatives.

“That says a lot about the club. You don’t forget,” said captain Christopher Trimmel. “But we have to make sure that we get things right at some point. In the end, it’s also in our interest to give them something back.”

The feature film against the Hessians was almost a best of the crisis weeks. After warming up, the players were given a special whip in front of the stands on the forest side. Already in the second minute it was 1-0 for Frankfurt. A flattering free kick for the visitors that was poorly cleared. After the rebound, Omar Marmoush had the entire Berlin defense in front of him and still found the gap. Once again the opponent’s first shot on goal was right.

“The first goal is unnecessary, another goal from the backcourt,” said Fischer. “Then they played it well for the second goal, even though we actually knew what to expect. We didn’t defend that well as a collective.” No luck, uncertainty and the accumulation of individual mistakes are ingredients for a long relegation battle.

Persistent goal drought

Added to this is the offensive harmlessness. The Berliners hit 40 crosses. Too few arrived. The good chances that existed were missed. Union hasn’t scored its own goal in five games. “We have to find our strength back, where substitutes sometimes made the difference and where we conceded few goals,” said Trimmel.

Nevertheless, the game is only of limited use as an argument for a change of coach. After the early 0:2, the Berliners shook themselves briefly and then ran consistently. “If you see the situation they are in right now, after the 2-0, after such a blow to the neck, there are many teams that then fall apart. They made life difficult for us until the 3-0, they tried everything, Nobody gave up,” said Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller.

It remains little consolation for the Berliners, but the team once again had no doubts about Fischer. “We owe it to the coach. What is currently happening is a situation that we got ourselves into,” said Robin Gosens.

But a certain level of helplessness is slowly spreading. “We try, we train, we do, we do. In the end, the current situation is that we are not good enough,” said Trimmel. “You have to communicate well with each other because we really have to start scoring points now.”