Union Berlin’s sports director Ruhnert: For the first time it’s “about staying in the league”

After the 10th bankruptcy in a row

Even after the tenth defeat in a row, coach Urs Fischer is allowed to continue at Union Berlin. “There is absolutely no wrongdoing. He will sit on the bench on Tuesday,” said Union sports director Oliver Ruhnert in the “ZDF-Sportstudio” after the 2-0 defeat in the crisis duel at Werder Bremen. VfB Stuttgart, Europe’s weakest first division team, will play in the second round of the DFB Cup on Tuesday.

“We said last week – and this continues to apply – that we are discussing things internally and want to overcome this really difficult time together for the first time and get it back in a successful direction,” said Ruhnert. Since Fischer took office on July 1, 2018, the “Irons” have played their way from the 2nd league to the Champions League and increased their squad value from 18 million to the current 190 million euros. “But you also have to make it really clear: for the first time in all these years we really have a situation where it’s actually about staying in the league.”

With Volland and Gosens: The most expensive additions from Union Berlin

16 Benedict Hollerbach | 2023/24 for €2 million from Wiesbaden

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As of September 6, 2023

16 Anthony Ujah | 2019/20 for €2 million from Mainz 05

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13 Sven Michel | 2021/22 for €2.5 million from SC Paderborn

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13 Marvin Friedrich | 2019/20 for €2.5 million from FC Augsburg

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13 Tymoteusz Puchacz | 2021/22 for €2.5 million from Lech Poznan

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12 Aïssa Laïdouni | 2022/23 for €2.6 million from Ferencváros

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11 Mikkel Kaufmann | 2023/24 for €2.7 million from Copenhagen

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10 Lucas Tousart | 2023/24 for €2.8 million from Hertha

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9 Morten Thorsby | 2022/23 for €3m from Sampdoria

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8 Robert Andrich | 2019/20 for €3.15 million from Heidenheim

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6 Kevin Volland | 2023/24 for €4m from AS Monaco

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6 Jamie Leweling | 2022/23 for €4 million from Greuther Fürth

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5 Jordan | 2022/23 for €6m from Youngs Boys

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4 Diogo Leite | 2022/23 for €7.5 million from FC Porto

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2 Taiwo Awoniyi | 2021/22 for €8.55m from Liverpool

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Including resale share of 10 percent to Liverpool when moving to Nottingham Forest (€2.05 million)

2 Josip Juranovic | 2022/23 for €8.55m from Celtic

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1 Robin Gosens | 2023/24 for up to €13m from Inter

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Despite the dramatic downturn and the seventh Bundesliga defeat in a row, the team remains loyal to the coach. “100 percent, of course,” answered Rani Khedira on “Sky” when asked whether Fischer was still the right man. “If you see what he has done for this club, how the development of each individual player and the team has been, he is absolutely the right man.”

Ruhnert emphasized: “The performance was really something that one can be worried about. In any case. Anything else would be glossed over. I don’t think you have to start inventing anything today. We’re not scoring any goals and the idea of ​​scoring a goal is simply missing at the moment” (quoted via “Picture“).

Fischer himself was combative despite the weak performance in Bremen. “We experienced so many great moments. Now it’s really storming. These are situations that you have to endure,” said the Union coach. “We still want to solve this situation together. It must and will continue. I will set the best example and prepare the team accordingly for the game against Stuttgart.” In the history of the Bundesliga, there have been 17 teams that have lost eight or more times in a row in the league.

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