For the Haters
Heaviest competitive defeat: the worst official defeat suffe...
Heaviest competitive defeat: the worst official defeat suffered by 1.
Heaviest competitive defeat: the worst official defeat suffered by 1. FC Union Berlin after German reunification came on 7 October 2002 in the second Bundesliga, a 0–7 at 1. FC Köln.
2–8 in Zwickau: in the 1992 promotion round
2–8 in Zwickau: in the 1992 promotion round to the second division, Union were beaten 8–2 by old DDR-Oberliga rivals FSV Zwickau....
to the second division, Union were beaten 8–2 by old DDR-Oberliga rivals FSV Zwickau.
0–5 against Werder Bremen: in the DFB-Pokal, eventual
0–5 against Werder Bremen: in the DFB-Pokal, eventual finalists Werder humiliated the Eisernen 5–0 at the Alte Försterei on 2 August 2009....
finalists Werder humiliated the Eisernen 5–0 at the Alte Försterei on 2 August 2009.
Beatings from the Stasi club: from Union’s rise
Beatings from the Stasi club: from Union’s rise to the Oberliga in 1966 onward, the Köpenick club regularly took beatings from BFC Dynamo.
to the Oberliga in 1966 onward, the Köpenick club regularly took beatings from BFC Dynamo. In 1979/80 Dynamo hammered Union 6–0 and in 1986/87 even 8–1. In the 1978/79 FDGB-Pokal round of sixteen, Union lost 8–1 in the first leg and 7–1 in the second.
The Unpromotables: Union Berlin and the promotion rounds
The Unpromotables: Union Berlin and the promotion rounds to the second Bundesliga seemed an unsolvable riddle.
to the second Bundesliga seemed an unsolvable riddle. From 1992 onward, Union kept missing out on promotion to German football’s lower professional house. In 1992 there were five defeats in six matches against Wolfsburg, FC Berlin and Zwickau, with a goal difference of minus 15. In 1993 the club was denied the licence.
The whole saga became especially dramatic in summer 2000, first in the penalty thriller of the return leg against Osnabrück, then in a three-team round with LR Ahlen and SC Pfullendorf. Again the dream of the second division remained unfulfilled.
The ouch premiere: finally Bundesliga, finally with Union
The ouch premiere: finally Bundesliga, finally with Union Berlin.
Berlin. On 19 August 2019 the euphoria in Köpenick knew hardly any bounds, but after barely half an hour it was over. RB Leipzig showed Union, with two early goals, how the Bundesliga works and eventually won 4–0. There have been better premieres.
From the perspective of Union haters, the most
From the perspective of Union haters, the most delightful season came in 2003/04 in the second Bundesliga.
delightful season came in 2003/04 in the second Bundesliga. Even with coaching legend Aleksandar Ristić, who replaced Mirko Votava at the end of March, Union took a proper beating and set several negative marks: 17th place, just 33 points, 17 defeats and only eight wins.
For the Haters — Update 2020–2026
The 2023/24 Champions League group stage was a debacle.
The 2023/24 Champions League group stage was a
The 2023/24 Champions League group stage was a debacle.
debacle. In a group with Real Madrid, Napoli and Braga, Union took no points and scored only a handful of goals in six games. Historically poor — even for a Bundesliga debutant in Europe’s top competition.
Worse still was the parallel league campaign. From
Worse still was the parallel league campaign.
fourth place the previous season, Union crashed into the relegation fight. The burden of playing on two fronts, the loss of key performers and tactical overload on the European stage all took their toll. The 2023/24 season became a complete failure.