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Union Berlin
1. FC Union Berlin Logo.svg
Full name 1. Fußballclub Union Berlin e. V.
Nickname(s) Die Eisernen (The Iron Ones)
Founded 20 January 1966; 59 years ago (1966-01-20)
(preceded by FC Olympia Oberschöneweide, founded 1906)
Ground Stadion An der Alten Försterei
Ground Capacity 22,012
President Dirk Zingler
Head coach Bo Svensson
League Bundesliga
2020–21 Bundesliga, 7th of 18
Third colours

Union Berlin is a professional German football club based in Köpenick, Berlin. The club's full name is 1. Fußballclub Union Berlin e. V..

The club started way back in 1906 as FC Olympia Oberschöneweide. During the Cold War, Union Berlin was located in East Berlin. After Germany reunited in 1990, the club joined the German league system. From 2009 to 2019, they played in the 2. Bundesliga, which is the second-highest football league in Germany.

In 2019, Union Berlin made history by getting promoted to the Bundesliga for the very first time. They continued to achieve great things, qualifying for the first-ever UEFA Europa Conference League in 2021. In 2022, they qualified for the UEFA Europa League. The next season, they reached the Champions League for the first time by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga.

The team plays its home games at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. This stadium is the second-largest in Berlin. Union Berlin and its earlier teams have played there since it opened in 1920. The stadium also hosts concerts and a popular Christmas carols event called Weihnachtssingen.

As of October 2024, Union Berlin has 67,638 official members. The club is famous for its passionate and creative fans. Their well-known chant is "Eisern Union" (Iron Union).

Club History

Early Years (1906–1945)

The club we know today as 1. FC Union Berlin has roots in an older club called FC Olympia Oberschöneweide. This club was founded in 1906 in Oberschöneweide, which was a suburb of Berlin at the time. In 1910, the team changed its name to SC Union 06 Oberschöneweide.

Union was one of Berlin's top clubs between World War I and World War II. They often won local championships and played at the national level. In 1923, they even reached the German championship final, but lost 0–3 to Hamburger SV.

The team was nicknamed "Schlosserjungs" (metalworker-boys). This was because their blue uniforms looked like the work clothes worn in the factories of the industrial Oberschöneweide area. The famous fan chant "Eisern Union!" (Iron Union!) also started around this time. From the beginning, the club was seen as a team for working-class people. This was different from other local clubs that had more middle-class beginnings.

In 1933, German football was reorganized into 16 top divisions called Gauligen. Oberschöneweide played in the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg. They usually had average results. They were relegated in 1935 but returned to the top division in 1936. In 1940, the team won their division title. This allowed them to play in the national playoffs, where they were knocked out by Rapid Wien. Union then went back to being an average team. They were relegated again in 1942 and played their last war-shortened season in 1944–45.

After World War II: Changes and Divisions (1945–1961)

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-30442-0001, Berlins Fußballer im Trainingslager
Coach Hanne Sobek in 1955.

After World War II, the Allied powers ordered all German organizations, including sports clubs, to be dissolved. A new sports group called SG Oberschöneweide was formed in late 1945. This team played in the City League that was set up right after the war.

The team did not qualify for the new top league, Oberliga Berlin, in 1946. However, they were promoted in 1947 and won the division title right away. They became a club again as SG Union Oberschöneweide in 1948–49.

In the 1949–50 season, the club finished second in Berlin. They qualified for the national final rounds. But, because of growing tensions during the Cold War, Soviet authorities did not let the team travel to play. This led to two Union teams forming. Most players and coaches moved to West Berlin to create Sport-Club Union 06 Berlin. This new team played in the playoff match in Kiel, losing 0–7 to Hamburger SV.

The players who stayed in East Berlin continued as SG Union Oberschöneweide. A third team, Berliner Ballspiel-Club Südost, was also formed by some players who had moved to the west. The western team was strong until the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. The division of the city changed things for BBC Südost, which now plays in lower divisions.

Rebirth as Union Berlin (1961–1990)

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-G0612-0203-003, FDGB-Pokal, Finale, 1 FC Union Berlin - FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2-1
Ulrich Prüfke (captain) and Ralph Quest raise the FDGB Pokal trophy in 1968.

The East Berlin part of the club changed its name many times. It was Union Oberschöneweide (1950), BSG Motor Oberschöneweide (1951), SC Motor Berlin (1955), TSC Oberschöneweide (1957), and TSC Berlin (1963). Finally, it became the football club 1. FC Union Berlin in 1966.

1. FC Union Berlin was officially founded on January 20, 1966. This happened during a big reorganization of East German football. The club was created in the middle of a large industrial area in East Germany. It was initially supported by the FDGB, which was the state-controlled trade union. This support was meant to make Union Berlin a "civilian club" for working people.

The club was state-funded. All club decisions had to be reported to the DTSB, which was the central sports agency. The DTSB was directly controlled by the SED Central Committee, the ruling political party.

The support from the FDGB ended in 1975. After that, 1. FC Union Berlin relied on support from the local SED party and state-owned businesses. Union Berlin developed a strong rivalry with BFC Dynamo. BFC Dynamo was supported by the Stasi, the powerful state security service. While BFC Dynamo won many titles, Union Berlin often moved between the top and second divisions with little success.

Union did manage to win the East German Cup in 1968. They beat FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2–1. They reached the cup final again in 1986 but lost 1–5 to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig.

In 1989, the East German film studio DEFA made a documentary about Union Berlin fans. It was called And Fridays at the Green Hell. It followed a group of supporters to games during the 1987–88 season.

The 2. Bundesliga Era (1990–2019)

Union-Fans-Choreographie
Supporters choreography in 2010.

After German reunification in 1990, the team played well on the field. However, they faced serious financial problems. They managed to survive these tough times and found sponsors. Even after winning their division in 1993 and 1994, they were denied a license to play in the 2. Bundesliga because of their money issues. The club almost went bankrupt again in 1997.

Union came close to getting into the 2. Bundesliga in 1998–99 and 1999–2000, but they didn't make it. They finally succeeded in 2000–01 under Bulgarian manager Georgi Vasilev. They easily won the Regionalliga Nord (III) and moved up a division. That same year, they reached the final of the German Cup, where they lost 0–2 to FC Schalke 04. They also played in the UEFA Cup, reaching the second round before losing to Bulgarian team PFC Litex Lovech.

The club dropped to the Regionalliga Nord (III) in 2004–05. Then they went down to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord (IV) in 2005–06. But they quickly returned to the third division after winning the Oberliga title. In 2008–09, Union became one of the first clubs in the new 3. Liga. They won the league and were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga on May 10.

In 2011, there was a discussion when it became known that club president Dirk Zingler had been part of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment during his military service. This regiment was connected to the Stasi. Zingler explained that he wanted to serve in Berlin and didn't know the regiment was part of the Stasi. However, this regiment was an elite group, and recruits were carefully chosen for their loyalty. Zingler had also been a member of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) and a leader in the Free German Youth (FDJ).

On June 1, 2018, Swiss coach Urs Fischer became the new head coach. The team stayed in the second tier until the 2018–19 season. They earned their first promotion to the Bundesliga by beating VfB Stuttgart in the relegation play-offs. After the win, the club's supporters ran onto the field to celebrate, but no one was hurt.

Bundesliga and European Football (2019–Present)

Union Berlin became the first Bundesliga club from former East Berlin. They were the sixth club from former East Germany to reach this top league. Before their first Bundesliga season, the club signed new players like Neven Subotić, Anthony Ujah, and Christian Gentner. They also re-signed Marvin Friedrich, who scored a key goal against Stuttgart in the play-offs.

The first-ever Bundesliga goal for Union Berlin was scored by Sebastian Andersson in a 1–1 draw against Augsburg. On August 31, 2019, the club beat Borussia Dortmund 3–1 at home. This was their first win in a Bundesliga game. The team finished the season in 11th place, with Sebastian Andersson scoring 12 goals.

On May 22, 2021, in their second Bundesliga season, Union Berlin qualified for the first-ever UEFA Europa Conference League. They finished seventh after a 2–1 home win against RB Leipzig. Max Kruse scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute, sending Union to Europe for the first time in 20 years.

In the next season, the club finished fifth in the league. This qualified them for the Europa League, where they reached the round of 16. In the 2022–23 season, Union Berlin qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time ever. They secured this spot with a 1–0 home win against Werder Bremen on the final matchday.

In the 2023–24 season, the club had a difficult start. They went 14 competitive matches without a win. Because of this, they decided to part ways with coach Urs Fischer. After two losses to teams also fighting relegation, Union dropped to 16th place. However, on the final matchday, they won 2–1 against Freiburg in stoppage time. This win secured their spot in the Bundesliga for another season.

Stadium: Stadion An der Alten Försterei

Stadion an der Alten Försterei
The main building of the stadium was opened in late 2013.

In 1920, SC Union Oberschöneweide, the team before today's Union Berlin, needed a new home field. Their old pitch was being built over with houses. The club moved a bit further from the city to the north-western part of Köpenick.

The new stadium was officially opened in August 1920. The first match was between Oberschöneweide and the German champions 1. FC Nürnberg, which Oberschöneweide lost 1–2. An earlier game had been played there on March 17, when Union played Viktoria 89 Berlin.

When Union was promoted to the DDR-Oberliga (the top league in East Germany) in 1966, the stadium needed to be bigger. It was first expanded in 1970. More extensions were added to the terraces in the late 1970s and early 1980s, increasing the capacity to 22,500. However, the facilities at Alte Försterei were simple and started to show their age.

Clp 20090708 Alte Försterei Eröffnungsspiel 3
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei is the largest stadium in Berlin built just for football.

After German reunification, Union was placed in the third league. The old stadium was one of the challenges the club faced in trying to get promoted to higher leagues.

In mid-2008, the club decided to modernize the stadium, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei (Old Forester's House). Money was tight, so the fans decided to help build the stadium themselves. More than 2,000 Union supporters worked 140,000 hours to create what is now known as the largest football-specific stadium in Berlin. While the stadium was being rebuilt, Union played at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark.

Inside the stadium, there are many outdoor beer kiosks and grills selling bratwurst and pork steaks. The official opening was on July 12, 2013, with a friendly match against Scottish Champions Celtic. The stadium holds 22,012 people, with 3,617 seats and the rest standing terraces.

World Cup Living Room

In 2014, the club had a unique idea. They invited fans to bring their own sofas to the stadium for the entire World Cup. This way, fans could watch the televised matches together. More than 800 sofas were placed on the pitch in rows in front of a big screen. This event later won the Fan Experience Award at The Stadium Business Summit in 2015.

Future Plans for the Försterei and European Games

In 2017, plans were announced to expand the Försterei from 22,012 to 37,000 seats. This would involve adding a new tier to three of the stands. These plans are expected to start at the end of the 2023/24 season. Union's President, Dirk Zingler, said that for the 2024/25 season, Union Berlin will play at the Olympiastadion in former West Berlin.

In the 2021/22 season, Union Berlin played their UEFA Europa Conference League games at the Olympiastadion. This was because UEFA had a rule against standing terraces. This rule was changed in the 2022/23 season, allowing "safe standing." So, Union was able to play at the Försterei for their 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign.

After qualifying for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League, Dirk Zingler confirmed that Union would again play at the Olympiastadion. This was because the Försterei was too small for the high demand for Champions League tickets. For example, 120,000 tickets for all three home games (40,000 for each game) sold out in one day. The Försterei will be used for the UEFA Youth League games.

Club Organization

Alte Försterei Köpenick1
The Alte Försterei (Old foresters house) is the main office of the club.

1. FC Union Berlin is mostly run by its fans. Dirk Zingler has been the club's president since 2004. In 2022, the club had 41,088 registered members.

President From To
Werner Otto 20 June 1966 31 July 1967
Heinz Müller 1 August 1967 31 July 1970
Paul Fettback 1 August 1970 31 October 1973
Heinz Hiillert 1 November 1973 25 November 1975
Günter Mielis 26 November 1975 1 March 1982
Dr. Norbert Woick 2 March 1982 31 October 1983
Klaus Brumm 1 November 1983 20 December 1984
Uwe Piontek 21 December 1984 3 November 1987
Hans-Günther Hansel 4 November 1987 5 June 1990
Gerhard Kalweit 6 June 1990 31 July 1993
Detlef Bracht 17 August 1993 31 July 1994
Horst Kahstein 14 November 1994 September 1997
Heiner Bertram 7 October 1997 12 October 2003
Jürgen Schlebrowski 13 October 2003 30 June 2004
Dirk Zingler 1 July 2004

Sport Management

  • Oliver Ruhnert, since May 5, 2018

Sponsorships

Union Berlin is supported by about 300 different companies and partners.

Union Berlin Fan
Young Union Berlin supporter.
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1998/99 Nike Skandia
1999/2000 BSR Gruppe
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03 Saller
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06 Nike EastWest
2006/07
2007/08 Silicon Sensor
2008/09 do you football
2009/10 kfzteile24
2010/11
2011/12 Uhlsport
2012/13 f.becker
2013/14
2014/15 kfzteile24
2015/16 Macron
2016/17 Layenberger
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20 Aroundtown SA
2020/21 Adidas
2021/22
2022/23 Wefox

Club Name History

The history of 1. FC Union Berlin includes several different club names over the years.

1. FC Union Berlin grafische Historie
The organizational history 1. FC Union Berlin (in German).
Date Name Note
17 June 1906 FC Olympia Oberschöneweide The club was founded as FC Olympia Oberschöneweide.
22 July 1906 BTuFC Helgoland, department Oberschöneweide It joined BTuFC Helgoland as a department.
10 February 1907 BTuFC Union 1892, department Oberschöneweide It joined BTuFC Union 1892 as a department.
20 February 1909 Union Oberschöneweide It joined the football association Verband Berliner Ballspielvereine (VBB) as SC Union Oberschöneweide.
1945 SG Oberschöneweide SC Union Oberschöneweide was dissolved by the Allied authorities. The club was refounded as SG Oberschöneweide.
December 1948 SG Union Oberschöneweide The club was allowed to use its old name again.
1951 BSG Motor Oberschöneweide It joined with the sports community BSG Motor Oberschöneweide. The team colors changed from blue and white to red and white.
1 February 1955 SC Motor Berlin The first team joined the new sports club SC Motor Berlin as a football department.
6 June 1957 TSC Oberschöneweide SC Motor Berlin merged with other sports communities to form TSC Oberschöneweide.
18 February 1963 TSC Berlin It merged with other sports clubs to form TSC Berlin.
20 January 1966 1. FC Union Berlin The football part of TSC Berlin became a separate football club. This was the founding of 1. FC Union Berlin.

Players

Current Team

No. Position Player
1 Denmark GK Frederik Rønnow
2 Germany DF Kevin Vogt
4 Portugal DF Diogo Leite
5 Netherlands DF Danilho Doekhi
7 Belgium FW Yorbe Vertessen
8 Germany MF Rani Khedira (vice-captain)
9 Croatia FW Ivan Prtajin
10 Germany FW Kevin Volland
11 South Korea MF Jeong Woo-yeong (on loan from Stuttgart)
12 Germany GK Carl Klaus
13 Hungary MF András Schäfer
14 Austria DF Leopold Querfeld
15 Germany DF Tom Rothe
16 Germany FW Benedict Hollerbach
17 United States FW Jordan Pefok
No. Position Player
18 Croatia DF Josip Juranović
19 Germany MF Janik Haberer
20 Slovakia MF László Bénes
21 Germany FW Tim Skarke
23 Serbia FW Andrej Ilić (on loan from Lille)
24 Denmark MF Robert Skov
26 Guadeloupe DF Jérôme Roussillon
28 Austria DF Christopher Trimmel (captain)
29 France MF Lucas Tousart
45 Germany FW David Preu
36 Germany MF Aljoscha Kemlein
37 Germany GK Alexander Schwolow
39 Germany GK Yannic Stein
41 Germany DF Oluwaseun Ogbemudia

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Germany GK Lennart Grill (at Eintracht Braunschweig until 30 June 2025)
Germany DF Robin Gosens (at Fiorentina until 30 June 2025)
Germany DF Paul Jaeckel (at Eintracht Braunschweig until 30 June 2025)
No. Position Player
Czech Republic MF Alex Král (at Espanyol until 30 June 2025)
Ivory Coast FW Chris Bedia (at Hull City until 30 June 2025)
Turkey FW Livan Burcu (at 1. FC Magdeburg until 30 June 2025)

Famous Former Players

RobertHuth
Robert Huth left the club's youth system in 2001, joining Chelsea.

All-Time Top Scorer

The club's all-time top scorer is Karim Benyamina from Algeria, with 87 goals. He scored these goals in 213 games for the club.

The number 22 jersey will not be worn by another Union player until someone breaks Karim Benyamina's scoring record. This was a special gesture from President Dirk Zingler to honor Benyamina's six successful years at the club. Over 14,000 fans came to say goodbye to Benyamina and another club legend, Torsten Mattuschka.

Reserve and Women's Teams

The club used to have a reserve team called 1. FC Union Berlin II. This team played in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Nordost. However, the club stopped the team from competing at the end of the 2014–15 season.

Union Berlin's women's team was started in September 1969. It was the first women's team in Berlin and one of the first in East Germany. They played their first game on January 17, 1970, losing 7–1. In 1971, the team joined KWO Berlin's women's team. Then, after Germany reunited in June 1990, KWO merged with Union Berlin.

Coaching Staff

Role Name
Head coach Denmark Bo Svensson
Assistant coach Germany Babak Keyhanfar
First-team coach Denmark Kristoffer Wichmann
Goalkeeper coach Germany Michael Gspurning
Athletic trainer Germany Martin Kruger

Manager History

Union-Trainer Uwe Neuhaus vor Anpfiff (10315274593)
Uwe Neuhaus was the longest-serving manager of Union Berlin.
East Germany Werner Schwenzfeier 20 January 1965 30 June 1969
East Germany Fritz Gödicke 01 Jul 1969 30 June 1970
East Germany Harald Seeger 01 Jul 1970 30 June 1972
East Germany Ulrich Prüfke 01 Jul 1972 30 June 1974
East Germany Dieter Fietz 01 Jul 1974 06 Dec 1975
East Germany Heini Brüll (caretaker) 07 Dec 1975 31 December 1975
East Germany Heinz Werner 01 Jan 1976 18 July 1982
East Germany Harry Nippert 19 July 1982 30 September 1983
East Germany Karl-Heinz Burwieck 01 Okt. 1983 30 June 1984
East Germany Karl Schäffner 01 Jul 1984 31 December 1987
East Germany Karsten Heine 01 Jan 1988 09 Apr 1990
East Germany Gerd Struppert (caretaker) 10 April 1990 30 June 1990
East Germany Werner Voigt 01 Jul 1990 03 Jun 1992
Germany Gerhard Körner (caretaker) 04 Jun 1992 30 June 1992
Germany Frank Pagelsdorf 01 Jul 1992 30 June 1994
Germany Frank Engel 01 Jul 1994 25 January 1995
Germany Hans Meyer 26 January 1995 02 Oct 1995
Germany Eckhard Krautzun 03 Oct 1995 24 March 1996
Germany Frank Vogel (caretaker) 25 March 1996 10 April 1996
Germany Karsten Heine 11 April 1996 25 September 1997
Germany Frank Vogel 26 September 1997 14 December 1997
Germany Ingo Weniger 02 Jan 1998 30 September 1998
Germany Fritz Fuchs 30 September 1998 01 Jun 1999
Bulgaria Georgi Vasilev 01 Jul 1999 12 October 2002
Bulgaria Ivan Tischanski (caretaker) 13 October 2002 05 Nov 2002
Germany Miroslav Votava 06 Nov 2002 24 March 2004
Bosnia and Herzegovina Aleksandar Ristić 25 March 2004 30 June 2004
Germany Frank Wormuth 01 Jul 2004 27 September 2004
Germany Werner Voigt 28 September 2004 09 Dec 2004
Germany Lothar Hamann/Germany Holger Wortmann (caretakers) 10 December 2004 19 December 2004
Germany Frank Lieberam 20 December 2004 09 Dec 2005
Bulgaria Georgi Vasilev 13 December 2005 05 Apr 2006
Germany Christian Schreier 06 Apr 2006 19 June 2007
Germany Uwe Neuhaus 20 June 2007 12 May 2014
Germany Norbert Düwel 1 July 2014 31 August 2015
Germany Sascha Lewandowski 1 September 2015 4 March 2016
Germany André Hofschneider (caretaker) 5 March 2016 30 June 2016
Germany Jens Keller 1 July 2016 4 December 2017
Germany André Hofschneider 4 December 2017 20 May 2018
Switzerland Urs Fischer 1 June 2018 15 November 2023
Germany Marco Grote (caretaker) 15 November 2023 26 November 2023
Croatia Nenad Bjelica 26 November 2023 6 May 2024
Germany Marco Grote (caretaker) 6 May 2024 30 June 2024
Denmark Bo Svensson (caretaker) 1 July 2024 present

European Competitions

Overview of Matches

Competition S Pld W D L GF GA GD
UEFA Champions League 1 6 0 2 4 6 10 −4
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup 2 14 6 4 4 14 13 +1
UEFA Europa Conference League 1 8 3 2 3 12 9 +3
Intertoto Cup 2 12 5 2 5 15 12 +3
Total 6 40 14 10 16 47 44 +3

European Matches Played

Union Berlin score listed first.
Season Competition Round Opposition Home Away Agg.
1967–68 Intertoto Cup Group B7 Denmark KB 0–3 0–1 3rd place
Poland Katowice 3–0 0–1
Czechoslovakia Union Teplice 0–1 1–1
1986–87 Intertoto Cup Group 2 West Germany Bayer Uerdingen 3–2 0–3 1st place
Switzerland Lausanne-Sport 1–0 1–1
Belgium Standard Liège 4–1 2–1
2001–02 UEFA Cup 1R Finland Haka 3–0 1–1 4–1
2R Bulgaria Litex Lovech 0–2 0–0 0–2
2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League PO Finland KuPS 0–0 4–0 4–0
Group E Czech Republic Slavia Prague 1–1 1–3 3rd place
Netherlands Feyenoord 1–2 1–3
Israel Maccabi Haifa 3–0 1–0
2022–23 UEFA Europa League Group D Belgium Union Saint-Gilloise 0–1 1–0 2nd place
Portugal Braga 1–0 0–1
Sweden Malmö FF 1–0 1–0
KRPO Netherlands Ajax 3–1 0–0 3–1
R16 Belgium Union Saint-Gilloise 3–3 0–3 3–6
2023–24 UEFA Champions League Group C Spain Real Madrid 2–3 0–1 4th place
Portugal Braga 2–3 1–1
Italy Napoli 0–1 1–1

UEFA Club Ranking

As of September 18, 2023

Rank Team Points
70 Norway Molde 21.500
71 Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 21.500
72 Germany Union Berlin 21.000
73 Belgium Antwerp 21.000
74 Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach 21.000

Player Records

Most Appearances

These are for official professional matches only. Updated as of September 24, 2024.

Rank Player Years League Cup Europe Other Total
1 Austria Trimmel, ChristopherChristopher Trimmel 2014–present 293 23 19 1 336
2 East Germany Hendel, LutzLutz Hendel 1968–1984 297 4 6 0 307
3 Germany Persich, TomTom Persich 1994–2006 285 14 4 0 303
4 Germany Mattuschka, TorstenTorsten Mattuschka 2005–2014 272 9 0 0 281
5 Germany Parensen, MichaelMichael Parensen 2009–2020 234 13 0 2 249
6 Germany Glinker, JanJan Glinker 2002–2014 232 4 0 0 236
7 Germany Stuff, ChristianChristian Stuff 2006–2014 214 5 0 0 219
8 Germany Nikol, RonnyRonny Nikol 1997–2003 200 11 4 1 216
9 East Germany Germany Placzek, FrankFrank Placzek 1987–1997 192 3 0 1 196
10 Algeria Benyamina, KarimKarim Benyamina 2005–2011 189 3 0 0 192

Top Goal Scorers

These are for official professional matches only. Updated as of September 24, 2024.

Rank Player Years League Cup Europe Total (Apps) Ratio
1 Poland Mencel, JacekJacek Mencel 1990–1994 66 0 0 66 (118) 0.56
2 Algeria Benyamina, KarimKarim Benyamina 2005–2011 62 0 0 62 (192) 0.32
3 Germany Mattuschka, TorstenTorsten Mattuschka 2005–2014 60 1 0 61 (281) 0.22
4 Bosnia and Herzegovina Barbarez, SergejSergej Barbarez 1993–1996 48 0 0 48 0(92) 0.52
5 Brazil Teixeira, DanielDaniel Teixeira 2001, 2005–2007 47 0 0 47 0(68) 0.69
6 Germany Polter, SebastianSebastian Polter 2014–2015, 2017–2020 44 2 0 46 (104) 0.44
7 North Macedonia Markov, GoranGoran Markov 1993–1995 43 1 0 44 0(83) 0.53
Germany Patschinski, NicoNico Patschinski 1994–1998, 2006–2009 43 1 0 44 (140) 0.31
9 Germany Menze, SteffenSteffen Menze 1998–2003 38 2 0 40 (164) 0.24
10 Germany Zimmerling, MatthiasMatthias Zimmerling 1991–1994, 1997–1998 37 0 0 37 0(92) 0.40

Club Culture

1. FC Union Berlin is known as one of Europe's "cult" clubs. This is because of many special things its fans and the club have done over the last 20 years.

The club's nicknames are Eiserne (the Iron Ones) or Eisern Union (Iron Union). These names came from an older nickname, Schlosserjungs (metalworker boys). This was because their blue uniforms looked like the work clothes of local factory workers.

In May 2004, fans helped the club financially. They raised enough money to keep the club's license for fourth-division football. This campaign was called 'Bleed for Union'. Fans actually donated blood to Berlin hospitals. They then gave the money they received from the blood bank to their club.

After 2010, Union Berlin became more popular with new people moving to Berlin, including those from other countries. They were attracted to the club's special atmosphere.

In 2023, Wildz, an entertainment brand, became a main sponsor of the club.

Club Rivalries

During the East German era, 1. FC Union Berlin had a strong rivalry with BFC Dynamo. BFC Dynamo was connected to the powerful state security service of East Germany, known as the Stasi. Union, on the other hand, was supported by the local government and state-owned businesses. The club was seen by some as representing an unofficial opposition to the communist system.

Between 1979 and 1988, BFC Dynamo won ten league titles in a row. Many people believed they had unfair advantages, which made the rivalry even stronger. Fans of both teams often clashed. Union fans saw their club as the underdog, rooted in the working class. Union became the most popular club in East Berlin.

Some sources say that Union Berlin fans chanted "The wall must go!" during games in the 1980s. This was a reference to the Berlin Wall. However, some also say this story might be a bit exaggerated. Union fans saw themselves as stubborn and non-conformist. But this image was not always about political resistance. Most Union supporters were just regular football fans.

Despite 1. FC Union Berlin and Hertha BSC being the two biggest clubs in Berlin, their rivalry has been less intense. Fans of both clubs showed support for each other when Berlin was divided. In the 1970s, fans from both clubs visited each other's stadiums. They even sang chants like "Hertha and Union – one nation."

The two groups of supporters met for the first time after the Berlin wall opened. This was at an indoor tournament in January 1990. Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin played each other for the first time on January 19, 1990. Hertha BSC won 3–2.

On January 27, 1990, Hertha hosted Union Berlin in a friendly match at the Olympiastadion. Over 52,000 fans attended. Fans from both clubs paid for tickets using either East or West German money. They sang songs about German reunification.

More than twenty years later, on September 17, 2010, the two teams played each other in a competitive match for the first time. It was a 2. Bundesliga game at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, and it ended in a 1–1 draw.

On November 2, 2019, Union Berlin played Hertha at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in their first-ever top-flight match. Union won 1–0 with a penalty goal from Sebastian Polter in the 87th minute. The game was stopped for a short time because Hertha fans threw fireworks onto the field. Over 1,100 police officers were on duty for the game. After the game, Union Berlin goalkeeper Rafał Gikiewicz was praised for guiding Union fans away from the field after a small pitch invasion.

Union Berlin also has rivalries with Hansa Rostock, Dynamo Dresden, and Magdeburg. These rivalries started when the teams played in the DDR-Oberliga.

More recently, a rivalry has grown with RB Leipzig. This started after Red Bull GmbH took over a fifth-division team and helped it rise through the leagues. In 2011, Union Berlin ran ads against this investment. On September 21, 2014, Union Berlin fans held a silent protest for the first 15 minutes of a home game against RB Leipzig. They called RB Leipzig a "marketing product" with "brainwashed consumers." Union Berlin won that game 2–1. On August 18, 2019, during Union Berlin's first Bundesliga game against RB Leipzig, the club's oldest fan group, the Wuhlesyndikat, organized a 15-minute silent protest at the start of the game.

Club Songs

The official Union Berlin song is "Eisern Union" by German punk singer Nina Hagen. This song was recorded in 1998. A famous fan chant, also called 'Eisern Union', is sung back and forth between the Waldseite and Gegengerade stands during games.

Christmas Tradition

Union Berlin is also famous for its Christmas traditions at their home stadium. In 2003, the yearly Union Weihnachtssingen (Christmas carols singing) started as a small gathering of just 89 fans. By 2013, 27,500 people attended, including players and fans from other teams. Fans drink Glühwein (mulled wine), wave candles, light flares, and sing Christmas carols mixed with football chants.

Club Mascot

Ritter Keule (which means: Cudgel the Knight) is the mascot of Union Berlin. He was first introduced in the year 2000.

Movies and Games

Union fürs Leben (Union for life) is a 2014 documentary film. It shows the strong passion of the supporters for 1. FC Union Berlin.

Honours and Achievements

National Titles

Clp 20070521 Union Empfang Rathaus Köpenick
The team celebrates their Berlin Cup victory at the Köpenick town hall in 2007.
  • German Football Championship
    • Runners-up: 1923
  • DDR-Liga Nord (Second Division)
    • Winners: 1965–66, 1969–70
    • Runners-up: 1963–64
  • DDR-Liga B (Second Division)
    • Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1980–81, 1981–82
  • DDR-Liga A (Second Division)
    • Winners: 1984–85, 1990–91
    • Runners-up: 1989–90
  • 3. Liga (Third Division)
    • Winners 2008–9
  • II. DDR-Liga I (Third Division)
    • Winners: 1961–62
  • German Cup
    • Runners-up: 2000–01
  • East German Cup:
    • Winners: 1967–68
    • Runners-up: 1985–86

Regional Titles

  • Berlin/Brandenburg Champions (−1933)
    • Winners: 1920, 1923
    • Runners-up: 1917, 1925
  • Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg:
    • Winners: 1940
  • Oberliga Berlin (1945–63):
    • Winners: 1947–48
    • Runners-up: 1949–50
  • NOFV-Oberliga Mitte (Third Division)
    • Winners: 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
  • Regionalliga Nordost (Third Division)
    • Winners: 1999–2000
    • Runners-up: 1995–96
  • Regionalliga Nord (Third Division)
    • Winners: 2000–01
  • NOFV-Oberliga Nord (Fourth Division)
    • Winner: 2005–06
  • Berlin Cup (Tiers III–VII)
    • Winners: 1947, 1948, 1994, 2007, 2009
    • Runners-up: 1926, 1997

Youth Titles

  • East German Youth Championship
    • Runners-up: 1985, 1988
  • East German Junior Cup (Junge Welt-Pokal)
    • Winners: 1960

Season Performance

More About Union Berlin

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: F. C. Union Berlin para niños

  • Football in Germany
  • Football in Berlin
  • Sport in Berlin
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