The unknown whistleblower: in June 1993 Union Berlin beat Tennis Borussia 2–1 and thought they had sealed sporting promotion to the second Bundesliga. The Eisernen were already planning their future as a professional side when the bomb exploded. An employee of Union’s main sponsor informed TeBe president Jack White that Union had submitted a forged bank guarantee with their licence application.
White passed the information straight to the DFB, which withdrew Union’s licence and denied them promotion. Union spoke of a West Berlin intrigue, but the DFB did not soften. TeBe took Union’s place and also lured away players like Pieckenhagen and Henschel.
The actual originator of the forged guarantee remains unknown to the public to this day.