Father of success goes
Union Berlin and Oliver Ruhnert are separating
November 13, 2025 – 5:13 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
As the person responsible for sports, Oliver Ruhnert shaped Union Berlin during a very successful phase in sports. Now they part ways.
Oliver Ruhnert is no longer part of 1. FC Union Berlin. The club and the 53-year-old have agreed to end their collaboration. Union announced this on Wednesday.
“The sporting path of our men’s team since 2018 has given our club a huge boost in development. Oliver Ruhnert played an important role in this, and we are very grateful to him for his commitment over the years,” said President Dirk Zingler, according to the club’s statement.
Ruhnert initially came to Union in 2017 as chief scout. He later took on the role of sports director. Together with Zingler and coach Urs Fischer, he made a significant contribution to the club’s development. His transfer policy earned him nationwide recognition.
“We have achieved successes together here that hardly anyone would have thought possible and that no one can take away from us. For me, the core of the whole thing was a very close and trusting exchange with the club management, but also within the entire club,” said Ruhnert. “I will take many unforgettable moments with me from these years and will always remain closely connected to Union, the people who shape the club, the employees and the fans.”
Since promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019, Union has made it into international business several times. In the 2023/2024 season, the Berliners even played in the Champions League. In the league, however, they found themselves in a relegation battle and only secured relegation at the last second.
At his own request, Ruhnert then took over the position of chief scout again and left it on hold from January 2025 in order to concentrate on his election campaign for the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance. After the party missed entry into the Bundestag, he returned and worked with his successor as managing director, Horst Heldt. Ruhnert only rarely appeared in public.