Union Berlin has already been at the bottom of the Bundesliga once. More than four years ago, right after the premiere game. This time the situation is much more precarious. Coach Fischer rejects radical changes.
Change things or even turn everything upside down? That’s not Urs Fischer’s style. Not even as bottom of the Bundesliga table. Not even after a pretty disastrous performance in the 4-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite the great sadness in Köpenick in view of Union Berlin’s sporting decline, it certainly didn’t sound like a revolution. “It’s not like we hold on to things if they don’t work,” Fischer said. But he added categorically: “Elementary processes are needed. And they need to be solidified.”
So: keep it up? In any case, Fischer is shutting down for now. All training sessions this week were declared “non-public”. The Swiss need one thing above all else: calm and focus on the essentials. The defeat by the superior Werkself on Sunday evening once again dramatically demonstrated to the Iron Team what they are currently lacking: basically everything that promises success.
“We have suffered so many defeats. We have to improve in many areas, otherwise it will be difficult to stay in the league,” said captain Christopher Trimmel, who seemed rather perplexed. Fischer was no less clear. “When you’re playing in a relegation battle, you need a different body language, a different mentality,” he said in the BayArena.
The bosses are still demonstrating loyalty
But is he still allowed to convey this mentality? In any case, the industry is amazed that the mechanisms in Köpenick do not (yet) apply. After nine defeats in a row, no other Bundesliga coach would probably still be in office. Fischer also knows that the “job guarantee” from manager Oliver Ruhnert or president Dirk Zingler is not unlimited. “The situation is constantly being reassessed,” said the 57-year-old. He didn’t sound like he had given up on his own initiative, even if his facial expressions seemed quite pale.
A plus for Fischer is the Union DNA. Being uncritical of the club and team is part of the cult at the Köpenick appendix, which they not only cultivate but celebrate. The imposed large family feeling should not be endangered in Berlin’s Wuhlheide. The fan block tends to take a general stance against supposedly critical media.
This moral model carried Union from the second division into the Champions League within four years on an incredible wave of success with Fischer as the grumpy master of ceremonies. And now return again? Fischer is trying to give the impression that he can stop the trend. “We have to address this game in Leverkusen thoroughly – we have enough to do in the two weeks,” he said about his tasks during the international break.
Easy opponents until Christmas
The statistics speak against Union. A club could never stay in class if they lost nine games in a row. Getting back to work with football is seen as the watchword. And the opponents offer a bit of hope. With the exception of FC Bayern Munich, all remaining opponents in 2023 appear to be beaten on good Union days: FC Augsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Bochum, 1. FC Köln will be their names until Christmas.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
