Union Berlin: Knoche about crisis, fear of relegation and new contract

Before the cup duel with VfB

The weakest first division team in Europe, Union Berlin, is in crisis mode after its tenth defeat in a row before the DFB Cup duel with VfB Stuttgart (Tuesday, 6 p.m.). In an interview with “Sport Bild”, leading player Robin Knoche, who has returned after recovering from a muscle injury, expressed confidence about the future, supported coach Urs Fischer and condemned the rumors about star signing Leonardo Bonucci. The 31-year-old defender also announced talks about his contract expiring in 2024.

“We haven’t played great football in recent years. But we were effective. This way of playing football required a lot of effort. To act self-sacrificingly and to run for your teammate. This includes the processes on the pitch, which have been structured in recent years. “We are currently unable to get this football on the pitch at the level of previous years,” said Knoche, summing up the Köpenick team’s sporting misery in an interview with the magazine.

The coaching question surrounding Urs Fischer, which was publicly discussed in view of this, “does not arise for us as a team. Every single one of them is 100 percent committed to the coach.” Of course, there are “always players who are not satisfied with their situation,” but the central defender attested to the mood in the almost 190 million euro squad: “The team is above everything .”

The professional rules out the football teacher resigning on his own initiative: “The coach is not someone who just gives up. And I wouldn’t want it either. Because I am convinced that with him I have the best possible chance of getting out of there. And I really hope that he stays at Union for many more years. You should also consider where Union comes from and that the past few years have always seen a steep upward trend. The fact that there are setbacks, that happens.”

When asked whether Union had to worry about staying in the league, the Braunschweig native replied: “No! Because I’m absolutely sure that we have the quality to stay in the league. And that we will get it done again, get this team unity, this passionate fighting for each other back on the pitch.”

Union Berlin’s Knoche condemns Bonucci rumors: “I’m not interested in it”

Meanwhile, Knoche condemned the speculation that new signing Leonardo Bonucci was causing unrest in the team with his supposed displeasure over short playing times and took a stand for his teammate: “So far we have gotten to know him as a completely normal team athlete. And he said himself that he was well received by us. He also understands some German and is learning the language. For me there are no signs of arguments, of arguments, of any ego. That’s why I find it difficult when something that Leonardo Bonucci declared to be untrue is spread to the public via social media. I’m not keen on that – and we won’t allow cracks to arise in the team as a result of one of our players being dismantled from the outside.”

Even the recent incident with David Fofana, who refused to shake coach Fischer’s hand after being substituted and was then suspended for two games by the “Irons”, did not upset the team: “In general, it is important, regardless of whether it is it comes from a leader or someone else to contribute to the team spirit. Everyone knows that emotionality is part of football. And yet behavior like David Fofana’s is not one of them. Especially in a negative run, every detail is paid attention to from the outside, which creates secondary theaters of war. There is a risk of losing focus. The issue was dealt with internally and has been checked off.”

Knoche, who moved to the capital from his training club VfL Wolfsburg on a free transfer in 2020 and has since played 105 competitive games for the Berliners, can imagine a future at Union beyond the current contract term. His working paper ends at the end of the current season, but the club and players are already in discussions about an extension: “I know what I have in this club, and conversely the club knows what it has in me. We are in discussions. I would argue that I embody the Union DNA and seek to lead and take responsibility through simplicity and clarity in my actions on the field.”

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