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After a negative period
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Urs Fischer and the 1. FC Union part ways
For the 1. FC Union Berlin ends an era: coach Urs Fischer leaves the club after five years. After 14 games without a win, the Iron Men are in last place in the Bundesliga.
Union Berlin press conference from 1.50pm in the rbb|24 live stream
Urs Fischer is no longer the manager of 1. FC Union Berlin. The Swiss and Union Berlin are parting ways after more than five years together. According to the company, Fischer and company president Dirk Zingler reached a mutual agreement on this point on Monday. The club officially announced the decision on Wednesday morning. Zingler had only informed the team shortly before.
Fischer: “The last few weeks have taken away a lot of energy”
After five successful seasons with promotion to the Bundesliga and three qualifiers for international competitions, the Unioners will be playing against relegation this season. Last weekend’s 4-0 loss was Union’s 14th winless streak.
“The last few weeks have required a lot of energy. We tried a lot, the team gave a lot, but the result did not bear fruit,” club Fischer said in a statement. Together we came to the conclusion that it was time to take a different path, Zingler explained.
Together with Fischer he leaves the 1. FC Union also his assistant coach Markus Hoffmann. Union U19 coach Marco Grote will be the interim coach until further notice. He is supported by assistant trainer Marie-Louise Eta.
Crash from the third day
After Union had started the season perfectly with victories against Astoria Walldorf (4:0, DFB Cup), Mainz (4:1, Bundesliga) and Darmstadt (4:2, Bundesliga), collapse followed. The team has not won a match since a 3-0 defeat against Leipzig on September 3.
In the same period we were eliminated from the DFB Cup and the Champions League. Since the 4-0 defeat in Leverkusen last Sunday, Union Berlin are in 18th place in the league. “When you play a relegation battle, you need a different body language, a different mentality,” Fischer said after the match in which his team had no chance.
This is apparently also the reason why Fischer has come to the conclusion that he is no longer the right coach for Union’s goals for the season. He said Wednesday: “Sometimes a different face, a different way of addressing a team helps spark development.”
Fischer leaves peacefully
During Urs Fischer’s time at 1. FC Union, the club has celebrated some of the greatest successes in its history. After promotion in May 2019, Union has established itself in the Bundesliga. After qualifying for the Conference League and the Europa League, Union managed to qualify for the Champions League, the most important club competition in European football, at the end of last season. Fischer was later named Coach of the Year in the “kicker” journalists’ poll.
Fischer has now said he would like to thank the players, his coaching team, the club and the fans for this successful period. And: “I wish Union all the best and I am convinced that they will manage to stay in the championship.” Club president Zingler also thanked Fischer for his “always respectful and trusting collaboration.” Zingler also said: “As painful as this separation is, Urs Fischer leaves as a friend who will always be welcomed by us with open arms.”
Broadcast: rbb24, November 15, 2023, 6:00 pm
