Dramatic series costs successful coach Fischer his job at Union Berlin

Soccereco, Staff Writer

Published: 04:33, 15 Nov 2023

After five successful seasons, Union Berlin is in search of a new coach. The Bundesliga club parted ways with Urs Fischer on Wednesday. The position of the 57-year-old Swiss had been under pressure for a while following a dramatic series of fourteen matches without a win.

Fischer led Union Berlin to the Champions League last season by surprisingly finishing fourth in the Bundesliga. It was the next chapter in the success story of Die Eisernen, who rapidly became a sensational mid-table team with seventh and fifth-place finishes after their promotion to the top tier in 2019.

It seemed like an endless fairy tale, but this season, the dream was brutally interrupted. After nine consecutive losses, Union Berlin is currently at the bottom of the Bundesliga, and in the Champions League, the club, featuring players like Sheraldo Becker and Danilho Doekhi, only secured their first point last week against Napoli (1-1). These poor results have cost Fischer his job.

Union Berlin stated that the coach and the management concluded in a meeting on Monday that parting ways was the best course of action. Fischer is being bid farewell with great respect. He is referred to as the most successful coach in the club's history for 'writing a unique success story' and will always be welcome as a friend of the club.

Sad Moment

Club president Dirk Zingler still believes that Fischer is an excellent coach, but his departure is inevitable. 'For me personally and the entire Union Berlin family, this is a very sad moment. It hurts that we haven't been able to break the negative trend of recent weeks, but I look back with pride on the successes we celebrated together.'

Fischer is grateful for the trust he has received all this time to turn things around but feels that now is the right time for a change. 'I wish Union all the best and am convinced that the club will maintain its Bundesliga status.' For the time being, this will be done under the guidance of interim coach Marco Grote (Under-19), assisted by Marie-Louise Eta.