From Verge of Bankruptcy to Topping Table With Bayern Munich- Here’s the Fairy Tale Story of German Soccer Club Union Berlin

Published 02/21/2023, 10:00 AM EST

Over the years, soccer fans have witnessed some of the greatest journeys of a few soccer clubs. Every soccer club doesn’t get the richest owner to start with. A few clubs in the top flight of European soccer have climbed up numerous leagues to get where they are. Financial challenges are one of the most common problems in the soccer universe. Union Berlin is one such soccer club that has had a very bumpy road in the last decades.

At one point, the German FA asked them for a financial guarantee amount to keep the club afloat. From the verge of bankruptcy to becoming a title contender, this is Union Berlin’s journey.

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The fans always stood by Union Berlin despite its financial struggles!

The unfortunate part of this club is that they have faced financial problems since its establishment in 1966. Several years later, after winning their regional division in 1993/94 the fans were all set to watch their club play in the 2. Bundesliga. However, they then realized that the club didn’t have the finances required. That season marked the start of the German soccer club’s struggle for money.

About a decade later, the German club faced a ‘make-or-break’ situation. The German FA asked Union Berlin to shell out €1.5 million euros as a guarantee to keep the club afloat. Dirk Zingler, a businessman and most importantly a fan, came to the rescue of his club. He paid most of the guarantee amount and became the President of Union Berlin ever since.

During that same time, the fans started ‘Bleed for Union’. This movement saw the most passionate fans donate real blood to get money and save their soccer club from bankruptcy. This movement turned out to become the ‘turning point’ of the club’s fortunes.

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In 2008, Union Berlin was playing in the third tier of German soccer. That year, the German soccer club almost lost its license because of its terrible and ancient infrastructure. The authorities couldn’t allow soccer to continue at the Alten Forsterei because its terracing had started to crumble. Nonetheless, the club didn’t have the money for the necessary renovation. The fans came to the rescue again, yet again. Over 2000 fans worked for more than 140,000 hours for absolutely free.

That moment when Union Berlin became a Bundesliga soccer club!

Union Berlin’s dream of playing in the Bundesliga finally came true in 2019. They finished 11 in the first season in the top flight of German soccer. They then raised several eyebrows around the soccer universe after finishing 7 and 5 respectively. The German club has undeniably become one of the dark horses of German soccer. But the fans wanted to see if Union Berlin could sustain their form for the fourth season in a row.

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It’s safe to say that Urs Fischer and his team have delivered beyond expectations. The dark horses currently sit 3 on the points table shockingly level on points with the mighty Bayern Munchen and Borussia Dortmund. Soccer fans and pundits are still doubtful of calling them title contenders considering the two teams ahead of them.

However, soccer has proven to take the steepest and most unexpected turns when least expected. The real question is, do we have a fairy tale ending on our hands?

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Do you think Union Berlin can win the Bundesliga this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Daniel D'Cruz is a Sports Writer at EssentiallySports. Having earned his Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and a Post Graduate Diploma in Event Planning and Experiential Marketing from St. Xavier's College, Daniel went on to have a brief stint working in the Event Industry.

Edited by:

Sreeda U M

From Verge of Bankruptcy to Topping Table With Bayern Munich- Here’s the Fairy Tale Story of German Soccer Club Union Berlin

The fans always stood by Union Berlin despite its financial struggles!

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That moment when Union Berlin became a Bundesliga soccer club!