Football | 1. FC Union Berlin is facing a groundbreaking season

High above the grounds of the Alte Försterei, a crane testifies to the now not-too-distant future of 1. FC Union Berlin . Club president Dirk Zingler sees the construction of the new training center, which has been underway since July, as "a milestone that will have a lasting impact on our club." At the same time, this marks the start of a project planned for years, with the completion of the new Alte Försterei stadium, which has yet to be fully finalized and will seat 40,000 people. In his review of the last season, Zingler described this period as "a landmark for the club."

The new season will set a new direction for the footballers from southeast Berlin. A high-profile visitor is expected on Sunday: Real Madrid is coming to Köpenick. For the official women's season opening, something that a club decision prevented just two years ago will come true: The club with arguably the most famous name in world football will play at the Alte Försterei. When the men faced Real Madrid in the group stage of the Champions League in 2023 , the Olympic Stadium was rented.

The main thing is iron

Gütersloh – that's the current destination for Union's footballers. This Friday, they'll be heading to the Westphalian fourth-division club for their competitive opening match in the first round of the DFB Cup. For the fans, the motto, as always, is: "Earth is everything ," regardless of whether it's the Regionalliga or Champions League. And so, around 4,000 Union fans will accompany the men to the cup match; two days later, the women will play against Real Madrid in a packed Alte Försterei stadium. This comparison is by no means meant to be a comparison, because in Köpenick, the two teams belong together. "One professional division, two teams," Zingler explained the club's approach. This will be literally cemented with the construction of the training center as a new home for the male and female footballers. "For football, it represents a further step towards normality, because the shared use of training facilities by men and women has long been a matter of course in many other sports. I would like to see this same standard in football."

The unequal opponents of both teams are already symbolic of recent developments. "Europe? No!" Steffen Baumgart gave this clear answer with a view to the upcoming season. Zingler has no problem with the goal of "staying in the league" set by the first team coach. "You see a completely satisfied president here," he said at the end of May, summing up the season and being "very happy" with 13th place.

Women with big goals

When the Champions League is discussed in Köpenick, it's all about the women. Although Union's women's football team has just been promoted to the Bundesliga, they don't seem to be afraid of big challenges and big goals. Jennifer Zietz, who has been promoted to the club's executive board as Managing Director of Women's Professional Football, wants to "not fight against relegation" in the first season, but rather "establish 1. FC Union in the 1. Bundesliga" immediately. And when she has her eye on the "international places," she means the top flight. The visit of Real Madrid may already provide an insight into where the team, rebuilt with some very well-known new signings, is headed.

The men are at least a bit further ahead in terms of time. "After the cup game, the preparation will be forgotten," said Baumgart before leaving for Gütersloh. However, the coach's statement only applies if his players perform better than in the weeks before. Back then, every opponent faces Union at some point – and wins. Whether it's the current bottom-placed team, Schweinfurt, or Greek champions Piraeus, the Berlin team has lost its last four preparation games 1-0. That's another reason why it doesn't mean anything when Baumgart says before the game: "We're the Bundesliga team."

Men have to prove themselves

Club member Baumgart is entering his first full season as coach with Union. After 19 games last season with only six wins, but ultimately securing a comfortable relegation thanks to this record, the 53-year-old can now prove that this seemingly perfect relationship is also a truly successful one. The public perception seems to be different, which is why the Berlin club is tipped for relegation in a surprising number of previews and analyses.

1. FC Union Berlin is entering its dreaded seventh Bundesliga season. President Zingler explained what success means in that context: "We always plan for ten wins and ten draws." That would mean the 40 points usually needed to secure relegation. "It won't be any easier this year," warned sporting director Horst Heldt, referring to newly promoted Hamburger SV and 1. FC Köln, who faced a stronger and more balanced league. In the past two seasons, when the Berlin club found themselves in a tough relegation battle after their European success, there were always at least two teams that simply didn't have enough to offer for the Bundesliga.