1. FC Union Berlin

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1. FC Union Berlin

Full name

1. FC Union Berlin e. V.

Nickname(s)

Eiserne, Eisern Union (Iron, Iron Union)

Founded

1906/1966

Ground

Alte Försterei

Capacity

18,100

Chairman

Dirk Zingler

Manager

Christian Schreier

League

Regionalliga Nord (III)

2005-06

Oberliga Nordost-Nord (IV), 1st





Home colours





Away colours

1. FC Union Berlin is a football club based in Berlin, Germany. It is one of two sides in the city bearing the name Union that emerged during the Cold War and played in East Germany, while the other played in the west. Today the club competes in the third division Regionalliga Nord after winning the Oberliga Nordost Nord in 2005-06.

1 History
2 Honours
3 Players
- 3.1 Current squad
- 3.2 Notable players
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Foundation to WW2

The name 1. FC Union Berlin was used by two football clubs that shared a common origin as SC Olympia 06 Oberschönweide, founded in 1906 in the Oberschönweide district of Berlin. The side took on the name SC Union 06 Oberschöneweide in 1910. Union was one of Berlin's premier clubs in the interwar period, regularly winning local championships and competing at the national level, including an appearance in the 1923 German championship which they lost 0:3 to Hamburger SV.

[edit] Post war split

After World War II, occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in Germany, including sports and football associations. A new club called SG Oberschönweide was formed in late 1945 and it played in the city league organized immediately after the war. The team was relegated after a poor season, but was promoted to the newly created Oberliga Berlin (I) in 1947 as SG Union 06 Oberschöneweide and won the division title.

Two Union teams soon emerged as most players and coaches fled to the west in 1950 to create SC Union 06 Berlin while those remaining in the east carried on as Union Oberschönweide. The western team was a powerhouse between the war's end and the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and was able to draw huge crowds to matches in the Olympiastadion. The division of the city led to a change of fortunes for the club which plays today in the lower divisions before meagre crowds.

[edit] Union in the east

The eastern branch of the club went through a number of name changes: Union Oberschöneweide (1950), BSG Motor Oberschöneweide (1951), SC Motor Berlin (1955), TSC Oberschöneweide (1957), TSC Berlin (1963) – finally becoming 1. FC Union Berlin in 1966. They became East Berlin's most popular side and developed a bitter rivalry with Stasi-sponsored BFC Dynamo. However, they only managed a single win in the East German Cup in 1968 when they defeated FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2:1. They lost in their second cup appearance in 1986 to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig by a score of 1:5.

[edit] Reunification to present

After German reunification in 1990, the team continued to perform well on the field, but almost collapsed financially. They managed to hang on through some tight times and find sponsorship, but only after winning their division in both 1993 and 1994 and each time being denied a license to play in the 2.Bundesliga due to their financial problems. The club had another close brush with financial failure in 1997.

Union again came close to advancing to 2.Bundesliga in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, but were disappointed. They were finally successful in 2000-01, under Bulgarian manager Georgi Vasilev, easily winning the Regionalliga Berlin (III) and moving up a division to become the city's most popular side after the Bundesliga's Hertha BSC Berlin. That same year they appeared in the final of the German Cup where they lost 0:2 to FC Schalke 04, and advanced as far as the second round in UEFA Cup play. The club slipped to the Regionalliga Nord (III) in 2004-05 and then to the Oberliga Nordost-Nord (IV) in 2005-06, but has since returned to third division play after capturing the Oberliga title.

[edit] Honours

German vice-champions: 1923
East German Cup winners: 1968
East German Cup finalist: 1986
German Cup finalist: 2001
UEFA Cup: 2001, 2nd Round

[edit] Players

[edit] Current squad

Name and number	Day of Birth	in Team since	transferred from
Goalkeeper
Jan Glinker (1)	18 Jan 1984	01 Jun 2003	Eigene Jugend
Michael Hinz (31)	07 May 1987	28 Jun 2005	A-Jugend
Daniel Klose (12)	05 Nov 1987	28 Jun 2005	A-Jugend
Defense
David Bergner (29)	02 Dec 1973	13 Jan 2005	FC Sachsen Leipzig
Daniel Göhlert (15)	25 Sep 1980	01 Jul 2006	Chemnitzer FC
Frank Kaiser (13)	18 Oct 1978	28 Jun 2004	FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt
Benjamin Koch (4)	15 Feb 1981	28 Jun 2004	FC Schalke 04 (A)
Steven Ruprecht (3)	24 Jun 1987	28 Jun 2005	A-Jugend
Daniel Schulz (7)	21 Feb 1986	28 Jun 2004	A-Jugend
Christian Stuff (5)	11 Aug 1982	01 Jul 2006	1. FC Saarbrücken
Midfield
Andreas Biermann (26)	13 Sep 1980	01 Jul 2006	MSV Neuruppin
Sebastian Bönig (14)	26 Aug 1981	29 Jan 2005	LR Ahlen
Robert Kalbus (n.a.)	11 Oct 1987	11 Nov 2005	A-Jugend
Nart Kovulmaz (8)	06 May 1986	28 Jun 2005	A-Jugend
Thorsten Mattuschka (17)	04 Oct 1980	28 Jun 2005	FC Energie Cottbus (A)
Guido Spork (11)	01 Jan 1975	23 Jan 2006	SC Paderborn 07
Christian Streit (7)	30 Jun 1984	01 Jul 2006	VfB Lübeck
Ingo Wunderlich (6)	18 Jun 1986	28 Jun 2005	A-Jugend
Markus Zschiesche (24)	12 Feb 1982	01 Jul 2006	MSV Neuruppin
Striker
Karim Benyamina (22)	18 Dec 1981	28 Jun 2005	SV Babelsberg 03
Markus Mätschke (2)	24 Oct 1986	29 Aug 2005	SV Tasmania Gropiusstadt 73
Nico Patschinski (27)	08 Nov 1976	01 Jul 2006	LR Ahlen
Salvatore Rogoli (9)	20 Nov 1980	01 Jan 2006	Berliner AK 07
Daniel Teixera (25)	20 Apr 1968	28 Jun 2005	Rot-Weiß Essen
Coach
Christian Schreier	04 Feb 1959	05 Apr 2006	MSV Neuruppin
Holger Bahra	20 Mar 1958	07 Jan 2005	Stahl Hennigsdorf