97-622: 1. Fußballclub Union Berlin e. V. , commonly known as Union Berlin ( pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stɐ ʔɛfˈt͡seː ʔuˈni̯oːn bɛʁˈliːn] ), is a professional German football club based in Köpenick , Berlin . The club's origins can be traced to 1906, when its predecessor FC Olympia Oberschöneweide was founded. During the Cold War , Union was based in East Berlin , joining the German league structure upon
194-544: A "former West German team" are considered by many as false - according to the DFB, this team still exists, called Germany. Germany's greatest triumphs since 1990 have been winning the 2014 World Championship in Brazil, and the 1996 European Championship secured in England with players from both the former West, including ( Jürgen Klinsmann as captain) and East ( Matthias Sammer ) as anchor of
291-461: A dedicated football club, it was elevated into the upper tier of privileged elite clubs. The official sponsor of 1. FC Union Berlin was the state-owned combine VVB Hochspannungsgeräte und Kabel, which implemented its support through VEB Kabelwerk Oberspree, VEB Transformatorenwerk Oberschöneweide and other local state-owned enterprises . The first club president was the general director of VVB Hochspannungsgeräte und Kabel, Werner Otto, and his deputy
388-679: A gold medal in the Summer Olympics in 2016 . Germany was the first nation to win both the men's and women's World Cup. No country has more combined men's and women's World Cup championships, and only the United States has won more combined men's and women's regional/continental championships (United States 17 in CONCACAF, Germany 11 in UEFA). Germany was the host of the FIFA World Cup in 1974 and 2006 ,
485-469: 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 the 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 Nord (III) and moving up a division to become
582-671: A little further away from the city to the north-western part of the borough of Köpenick . The new stadium was officially opened in August 1920 with a match between Oberschöneweide and the then German champions 1. FC Nürnberg (1–2). The inaugural match in at the Alte Försterei had already been played on 17 March, when Union challenged Viktoria 89 Berlin . When Union won promotion to the DDR-Oberliga (the top flight in East Germany ) in 1966,
679-625: A rematch of a first-round game, which Hungary had won 8–3. In response to his team's earlier thrashing at the hands of the Hungarians, legendary West German coach Sepp Herberger made key tactical adjustments in his team's lineup prior to the Final. Shortly before the match, it had started raining - in Germany this was dubbed "Fritz-Walter-Wetter" (Fritz Walter Weather) because the German team captain Fritz Walter
776-595: A row, Union yo-yoed between the DDR-Oberliga and the DDR-Liga with very little success. Union managed to win the East German Cup in 1968 when they defeated FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2–1 although they lost in their second cup appearance in 1986 to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig by a score of 1–5. The East German state-owned film studio DEFA produced a documentary about the supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin in 1989. The documentary
873-593: A sponsorship deal with the company International Sport Promotion (ISP) because the head of the board at the company had been a Stasi officer. The Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment was the paramilitary wing of the Stasi. Zingler explained that he had sought to spend his military service in Berlin and that he was unaware beforehand that the regiment belonged to the Stasi. However, the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment
970-464: A tournament which included a memorable clash with rival the Netherlands, Germany defeated Argentina , 1–0, on an Andreas Brehme penalty kick, to win its third World Cup title. With its third title (and three second-place finishes), West Germany became the most successful World Cup nation for four years, until Brazil won their fourth championship in 1994. West German team manager Franz Beckenbauer became
1067-468: A very unique history, compared to other clubs. But it wasn't us that always claimed we were this big anti-Stasi club. These are stories that get simplified in the media." On 1 June 2018, Swiss coach Urs Fischer was announced as new head coach of the club. The team remained in the second tier until the 2018–19 season , when they secured a first promotion to the Bundesliga after defeating VfB Stuttgart in
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#17330854080881164-490: Is called And Fridays at the Green Hell and follows a group of supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin to both home and away matches during the 1987–88 season. 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
1261-508: Is identical to the team representing what was informally called West Germany from 1949 to 1990, as the German Football Association was again recognized by FIFA after WW2. Nothing changed in 1990 except enlarged membership due to the access of East German states and players, thus the continuity in the German logo and uniform style as well as references to Germany's four World Cup and three European Cup titles. Thus, all references to
1358-627: Is now 1. FC Union Berlin . Another group of Union players formed BBC Südost , also based in the West, but the latter was disbanded in 1990. The new club, now based in West Berlin and playing in the Oberliga Berlin which now did not include clubs from the East anymore, experienced an era of success from 1950 to 1953. Union finished runners-up in the league to Tennis Borussia Berlin in 1951 and 1952 but won
1455-537: Is now regarded as the largest football-specific stadium in Berlin. During the redevelopment, Union played at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark . Inside the stadium an array of outside beer kiosks and open air grills serving bratwurst and pork steaks at the back of the stand provide the culinary staples. The official opening on 12 July 2013, was celebrated with a friendly against Scottish Champions Celtic . It holds 22,012 people with 3,617 seats. The rest
1552-522: Is recognized as one of Europe's "cult" clubs, based on many unique fan and club initiatives over the last two decades. The nicknames of the club are Eiserne (the Iron Ones) or Eisern Union (Iron Union). These nicknames evolved from the earlier sobriquet Schlosserjungs (metalworker boys), a reference to the blue kit the Union played in, as it was reminiscent of the overalls worn by local workers. In May 2004,
1649-615: Is terracing. In 2014, the club came up with the idea of inviting their fans to take their own sofas to the ground for the whole of the World Cup, to enjoy the televised matches in the company of fellow supporters. More than 800 sofas were placed on the pitch in rows in front of a big screen. The event was later recognized with the Fan Experience Award at The Stadium Business Summit 2015 in Barcelona. In 2017, plans were announced to expand
1746-464: Is the only nation to have won both the men's and women's World Cup and European Championship. The Germany women's team are also the first to have won a World Cup at senior level, either for men or women, without conceding a single goal, having done so in 2007. Nadine Angerer was the goalkeeper who managed this feat. The national teams play in various stadiums throughout Germany . The cities of Düsseldorf , Munich , Dortmund and Berlin are some of
1843-425: The 1923 German championship final which they lost 0–3 to Hamburger SV . Early on, the team was nicknamed "Schlosserjungs" (English: metalworker-boys) because of their then all blue kit, reminiscent of the typical work clothing worn in the factories of the industrial Oberschöneweide district. The popular cry of Union supporters – "Eisern Union!" (Iron Union) – also emerged at this time. Since its foundation
1940-537: The 1923 German football championship where it reached the final but lost 3–0 to Hamburger SV . After the Second World War the club reformed as Sportgemeinde Oberschöneweide . It took part in the 1948 German football championship but lost to 7–0 FC St. Pauli in the quarter-finals. After a runners-up finish in the Oberliga Berlin in 1950 and qualification to the 1950 German football championship Union
2037-718: The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup in the US and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. The national association is the German Football Association (or Deutscher Fußball-Bund) headquartered in Frankfurt . The DFB was founded in 1900 in Leipzig , by the representatives of 86 clubs. Today, the association has some 31,000 member clubs which field 170,000 teams with over 2 million players: these numbers include 870,000 female members and 8,600 women's teams. With over six million active and passive members,
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#17330854080882134-474: The Champions League group stage for the first time in its history, after a 1–0 home win against Werder Bremen on the final matchday. In the 2023–24 season , the club experienced a bad start including 14 winless competitive matches in a row, hence they decided to separate with coach Urs Fischer by "mutual agreement". Following two consecutive defeats against relegation rivals Bochum and 1. FC Köln in
2231-462: The DFB-Pokal in 1976–77 but lost 12–1 to VfL Osnabrück in the first round. Union was relegated from what was now the tier three Amateur-Oberliga Berlin in 1982. It briefly returned to the league in the 1984–85 season but was relegated again straight away and never returned to the highest level of play in Berlin again. With German reunification Union made contact again with 1. FC Union and
2328-740: The DFC Prag , was elected first president of the DFB. Already some years before 1900, associations like the Bund Deutscher Fussballspieler or Deutscher Fussball und Cricket-Bund were founded, but they were limited to smaller areas of the German Empire, in those cases to areas around Berlin . The first championship beyond municipal areas was held in 1898 from the Verband Sueddeutscher Fussball-Vereine (Association of South German football clubs) , later affiliated with
2425-536: The FC Olympia Oberschöneweide , formed in 1906, but the current SC Union was formed in June 1950. It had its greatest success in the early 1950s when it won the tier one Oberliga Berlin in 1953, having finished runners-up in the previous two seasons. The 1952–53 league championship entitled the club to participate in the 1953 German football championship , where it was knocked-out in the group stage. In 1976,
2522-528: The German Football Association to play in the third league, the outdated stadium proved only one of a number of factors that hampered the club's push for promotion to higher leagues. In the middle of 2008, the club decided to finally modernise the stadium, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei (Old Forester's House). Money was still tight, and so the fans simply built the ground themselves. More than 2,000 Union supporters invested 140,000 working hours to create what
2619-623: The Olympiastadion . Union slowly declined from there. It finished third in the league in 1954 and 1957, but after that, dropped into the relegation zone. Support from the eastern part of Berlin dried up completely after the construction of the Berlin Wall . The club was relegated from the Oberliga in 1960, won promotion back in 1961 and was relegated again in 1962 . After the Introduction of
2716-573: The UEFA Youth League . This was not done in guidance of UEFA instead was done willingly. This is because of the demand of ticket sale being too much for the Försterei to handle, which was proven to be the case as in the UCL Season ticket sales, they sold out a total 120,000 tickets for all 3 Home Games (40,000 in each game) in one day 1. FC Union Berlin is led mostly by fans. Dirk Zingler has served as
2813-493: The 1949–50 season in second place in Berlin and qualified to take part in the national final rounds. However, escalating Cold War tensions led Soviet authorities to refuse the team permission to travel to take part. Two Union teams then emerged as most players and coaches fled to the west to form Sport-Club Union 06 Berlin which took part in the scheduled playoff match in Kiel against Hamburger SV , losing 0–7. The players remaining in
2910-704: The Bundesliga in 1963 Union played a season in the tier two Regionalliga Berlin in 1963–64 but came last and was relegated back to the Amateurliga. The club dropped out of this level in 1966 and 1970 but returned on each occasion. From 1972 onwards it experienced a small revival, winning the Amateurliga in 1976. It took part in the promotion round to the 2. Bundesliga but was unsuccessful there, competing against Arminia Hannover and SC Herford , and, in any case, would have struggled financially to compete in professional football. The club made its one and only appearance in
3007-424: The DFB is the world's largest sports federation. The Germany national football team has represented Germany in international football competitions since 1908. It is controlled by the German Football Association (DFB), the governing body of football in Germany. They have won four FIFA World Cups and have been runners up on four occasions. Since the 1954 World Cup , the Germany national team has been outfitted by
1. FC Union Berlin - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-488: The DFB, are two-time world champions, having won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003 under past coach Tina Theune-Meyer and 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup under current coach Silvia Neid . They are the first women's team to have successfully defended a World Cup. They have also won eight UEFA Women's Championships ( 1989 , 1991 , 1995 , 1997 , 2001 , 2005 , 2009 , 2013 ), which includes six consecutive titles. Germany
3201-501: The DFB. The Germany national football team has represented Germany in international football competitions since 1908. It is controlled by the German Football Association (DFB), the domestic governing body of Germany's football in Germany. Germany national football team played its first post-WWI match on 27 June 1920 in Zürich against Switzerland, which the Swiss team won 1:4. Club football
3298-738: The DTSB stood under direct control of the SED Central Committee . The support from the FDGB ended when Herbert Warnke was replaced by Harry Tisch as the chairman of the FDGB in 1975. Tisch had begun his political career in Rostock and instead gave his support to FC Hansa Rostock . This event was remarkable, as it revealed the large influence that high-ranking politicians exerted on football in East Germany. 1. FC Union Berlin would then had to rely on support from
3395-534: The FDGB. The intention of the SED to win the support from FDGB for 1. FC Union Berlin was likely well thought out. The FDGB unified all workers in East Germany and therefore was most likely to carry the proper identity for a club of the working people. The club was founded in a ceremony in the clubhouse of VEB Transformatorenwerk Oberschöneheide " Karl Liebknecht " (TRO) in Oberschöneweide on 20 January 1966. The founding of
3492-426: The Försterei from 22,012 to 37,000 with the installation of a new tier across the 3 stands that oppose the main stand. It was announced that the plans should start at the end of the 2023/24 season. The President of Union, Dirk Zingler stated that for the 2024/25 Season, Union Berlin will play at the Olympiastadion in the former West Berlin. In 2021/22, Union Berlin played their UEFA Europa Conference League Games at
3589-509: The German firm adidas . For home games, the German team wears white jerseys, black shorts and white socks in honour of the Prussian colours. Along with black both red and gold, the other two colours of the German flag, have been included in the strip over the years. Traditionally, the Germans have worn green jerseys, white shorts and green socks as their alternate uniform. In recent years, however,
3686-551: The Germans have changed their away uniform to grey in 2002–2003, black in 2004 and recently to red. The Germans wore red as their alternate colour in the 2006 World Cup . The Germany national team during the 2006 World Cup was coached by former captain Jürgen Klinsmann. Since 12 July 2006, former Assistant Coach Joachim Löw has coached the national team. Its current captain is Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer . The German women's national football team, also organised by
3783-632: The Hungarian reporter burst into tears. The game would become known as the "Das Wunder von Bern" (the "Miracle of Bern") in German lore and would be the basis for a successful movie released in 2003. The FIFA World Cup 1974 competition was held in West Germany. Led by legendary libero Franz Beckenbauer, keeper Sepp Maier , playmaker Paul Breitner , and strikers Uli Hoeneß and "Der Bomber" Gerd Müller (Germany's all-time leading scorer with 68 goals in 62 games), Germany won its second World Cup by defeating
3880-579: The Netherlands in the final, 2–1, behind goals by Breitner and Müller. The Final was famous for the battle between Kaiser Franz (Beckenbauer) and King Johann (Cruyff). The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup , was awarded. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy , was won for the third time by Brazil in 1970 and awarded permanently to the Brazilians. In
3977-510: The Oberliga title. In 2008–09, Union became one of the founding clubs of the new 3. Liga , and its inaugural champion, securing first place and promotion to the 2. Bundesliga on 10 May. A controversy erupted in 2011 when it became publicly known that club president Dirk Zingler had been a member of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment for three years during his military service. Only two years before, Zingler had cancelled
1. FC Union Berlin - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-529: The Olympiastadion due to UEFA's ban of Terracing , which was lifted in the 2022/23 season in favour of Safe Standing . Union was able to play at the Försterei for the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign. Then, in the Wake of their Qualification to the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League , Dirk Zingler confirmed that Union will be again playing at the Olympiastadion, as well as confirming that the Försterei will be used in
4171-860: The UEFA European Championship in 1988 and 2024 , and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2005 . They also hosted the 1989 , 1995 and 2001 editions of the UEFA European Women's Championship, as well as the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup . The women's league system has the Frauen-Bundesliga , 2. Frauen-Bundesliga , and Frauen-Regionalliga . The DFB-Pokal Frauen is the main national cup competition. The first football match arguably took place in Braunschweig in 1874. Two schoolteachers, August Hermann and Konrad Koch , initiated
4268-467: The armed organs ( German : Bewaffnete Organe der DDR ). Warnke therefore argued for the creation of a third "civilian club" for the working people in East Berlin. He would become a passionate fan of 1. FC Union Berlin and a sponsoring member of the club. 1. FC Union Berlin was established in the middle of one of the largest industrial centers in East Germany. 1. FC Union Berlin was initially supported by
4365-505: The atmosphere at the club. In 2023, Rootz Ltd entertainment brand Wildz became a premier sponsor of the club. Wildz is the sister brand to Wheelz, a platform that features The Hoff , an entertainment figure who also enjoys cult status in Germany. During the East German era, 1. FC Union Berlin was known for a rivalry with BFC Dynamo , which was reputedly affiliated with the powerful state security service of East Germany ( Stasi ). Union, on
4462-403: The back of a Union shirt until someone breaks the all-time Union scoring record of Karim Benyamina, who scored 87 goals in 213 appearances for the club. "This is a great gesture by president Dirk Zingler. That is the reward for six successful years," he said in 2016. Over 14,000 fans turned out to give Benyamina his career send-off alongside another legend, Torsten Mattuschka , who is often seen as
4559-640: The city's second most popular side. 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 before being put out by Bulgarian side PFC Litex Lovech . The club slipped to the Regionalliga Nord (III) in 2004–05 and then to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord (IV) in 2005–06, but returned to third division play after capturing
4656-687: The club has had a distinct working-class image, in contrast to other local clubs with more middle-class origins, such as Viktoria 89 Berlin , Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin , BSV 92 Berlin or Tennis Borussia Berlin . In 1933, German football was reorganized under the Third Reich into 16 top-flight divisions known as Gauligen. Oberschöneweide became part of the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg , where they generally earned middling, unexceptional results. They were relegated in 1935 and returned to first division play in 1936 after only one season's absence. In 1940,
4753-619: The club qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga. The home ground of the club is the Stadion An der Alten Försterei . It is the second-largest in the German capital and has been home to Union Berlin and its forerunners since it opened in 1920. The stadium also hosts concerts and the annual Weihnachtssingen Christmas carols event. As of October 2024, Union Berlin has 67,638 official members. The club has become well known for its enthusiastic and creative fan base and its chant "Eisern Union" (Iron Union). The name 1. FC Union Berlin
4850-435: The club qualified for the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League after finishing seventh, following a 2–1 home win against RB Leipzig , with Max Kruse confirming Union Berlin's first European campaign in twenty years, with a 92nd-minute winner. In the following season, the club finished fifth in the league to qualify to the Europa League , where they reached the round of 16. In the 2022–23 season, Union Berlin qualified for
4947-456: The club unsuccessfully took part in the promotion round to the 2. Bundesliga and, in the following season , participated in the DFB-Pokal . SC Union 06 Berlin traces its roots back to the FC Olympia Oberschöneweide , a club formed in 1906. Renamed to SC Union Oberschöneweide the predecessor club won the Berlin championship in 1920, 1923, 1940 and 1948 as well as the Berlin Cup in 1947 and 1948. Union's greatest success however came in
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#17330854080885044-422: The club was organized by the then-SED First Secretary in Köpenick , Hans Modrow . Like Herbert Warnke, Hans Modrow would be a sponsoring member of the club. SED Politburo member Paul Verner held a speech at the inaugural meeting. SED Politburo member Verner would be a very strong sympathizer of the club. 1. FC Union Berlin was the only football club not playing in the DDR-Oberliga at the time of its founding. As
5141-608: The club's president since 2004. The club had 41,088 registered members in 2022. 1. FC Union Berlin is sponsored by around 300 private and corporate partners. The organizational history of 1. FC Union Berlin includes several different clubs and names. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. [REDACTED] Karim Benyamina (87) The number 22 will not be worn on
5238-453: The defence. The greatest success for German team in the new millennium has been their winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup . They had also finished in second place to Brazil at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan and second place at the 2008 European Championship. There was also a third place at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and in addition another third place at World Cup 2010. Germany's women have achieved even greater success, winning both
5335-514: The dissolution of all organizations in Germany, including sports and football associations. A new sport community called SG Oberschöneweide was formed in late 1945 and it played in the City League organized immediately after the war which had four regional departments. The team did not qualify to the newly created Oberliga Berlin (I) in 1946 after a poor season, but was promoted in 1947, won the division title right away and regained club status as SG Union Oberschöneweide during 1948–49. The club finished
5432-402: The east carried on as SG Union Oberschöneweide while a number of players who had fled to the west to form SC organized a third side called Berliner Ballspiel-Club Südost . The western team was a strong side until the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, drawing huge crowds to matches in the Olympiastadion. The division of the city led to a change of fortunes for BBC Südost which plays today in
5529-441: The eternal underdog that was firmly rooted in the working class. Union became the most popular club in East Berlin. Football in Germany Football is the most popular sport in Germany with 57% of the population declaring interest in watching it. The German Football Association (German: Deutscher Fußball-Bund or DFB ) is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members (roughly eight percent of
5626-420: The face of that particular era for Union. The club's reserve team , 1. FC Union Berlin II , most recently played in the tier four Regionalliga Nordost , having won promotion to the league in 2012. Previous to this, it spent two seasons in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord . At the end of the 2014–15 season, the club withdrew the team from competition. Union Berlin's women's team was formed in September 1969, becoming
5723-449: The first match after Hermann had obtained a round football from England. In 1875, Koch published the first German version of the rules of football , although Koch's version of the game still closely resembled Rugby football . The Dresden English Football Club is considered the first modern football club in Germany and probably the first in continental Europe. It was founded in 1874 by Englishmen living and working around Dresden . In
5820-599: The first women's team in Berlin and one of the first in East Germany. The women's team initially competed against Union Berlin's youth teams due to a lack of opponents, playing their first game on 17 January 1970, losing 7–1. In 1971, the team were amalgamated into KWO Berlin 's women's team, before KWO merged with Union Berlin in June 1990 following German reunification. As of 18 September 2023 Source: Competitive, professional matches only. Up to date as of 24 September 2024 Competitive, professional matches only. Up to date as of 24 September 2024 1. FC Union Berlin
5917-479: The following 20 years the game achieved a growing popularity. Football clubs were founded in Berlin , Hamburg and Stuttgart . On 28 January 1900, representatives from 86 football clubs from German-speaking areas in and outside the German Empire met in the restaurant Mariengarten in Leipzig , founding the DFB. The founding meeting was led by E. J. Kirmse, chairman of the Leipziger Fussball Verband (Leipzig Football Association) . Ferdinand Hueppe, representing
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#17330854080886014-411: The football department of TSC Berlin was originally not taken into account. Only two clubs were planned for East Berlin, to be formed from the football departments of ASK Vorwärts Berlin and SC Dynamo Berlin . This was already contrary to the original plan, which had envisioned only one football club per district. And the football department of TSC Berlin was only playing in the second tier DDR-Liga at
6111-415: The four stars above the Germany national team logo on the team's jerseys. Germany hosted the World Cups in 1974 and in 2006. The women's national team has won two FIFA Women's World Cups, commemorated by two stars above the crest on their jerseys. Germany hosted the 2011 Women's World Cup. The Wankdorf Stadion in Bern saw 60,000 people cram inside to watch the Final between West Germany and Hungary ,
6208-467: The joint-second most successful nation in the tournament only surpassed by Brazil . It also holds three UEFA European Championships ( 1972 , 1980 , 1996 ), behind only Spain , and won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017 . The Germany women's national football team has won two FIFA Women's World Cups ( 2003 , 2007 ) and a record eight UEFA European Women's Championships ( 1989 , 1991 , 1995 , 1997 , 2001 , 2005 , 2009 , 2013 ), as well as
6305-406: The late stages of the season, Union dropped to the 16th place. On the final matchday, they clinched a 2–1 win over Freiburg in the stoppage-time, securing their continued presence in the Bundesliga. In 1920, SC Union Oberschöneweide (forerunner of today's 1. FC Union Berlin) had to find a new home ground as its former pitch had been built over by developers with residential buildings.The club moved
6402-438: The league in 1953. This title earned the club another trip to the German championship where it however finished last in its group with five defeats and one draw, playing against Hamburger SV, VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund . The club was well supported in its three home games during the 1953 German championship campaign, drawing 85,000 against HSV and 35,000 each against the other two, with all three games being played at
6499-496: The lower divisions before meagre crowds. 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 the football club 1. FC Union Berlin in 1966. 1. FC Union Berlin was founded during the reorganization of East German football in December 1965 and January 1966, when ten dedicated football clubs were created. However,
6596-437: The more popular locations. FIFA World Cup UEFA European Championship Summer Olympic Games FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Championship Summer Olympic Games UEFA Women's Nations League The Germany national football team has won four FIFA World Cups and have been the runners up on four other occasions. The four World Cup championships are commemorated by
6693-432: The nineteenth before halftime, the tide began to turn in the Germans' favor. The second half saw misses from the Hungarian team as well as a disallowed goal from Puskás with 2 minutes left. Rahn then scored again to make the score 3–2. As he was scoring the goal, the popular German reporter Herbert Zimmermann gave the most famous German piece of commentary of all time - "Rahn schiesst - TOR!" ("Rahn shoots - GOAL!") - while
6790-531: The other club. A potential merger of the two clubs was however declined by the members. Population changes in the suburb of Moabit , their home district, have led to the integration of many non-German residents in the club, something the club has won praise and awards for in the past. On the field, after its descent to the Kreisliga B , the club recovered, returning to the tier seven Landesliga Berlin in 2014 but being relegated from this level again in 2016. In January 2015, Union 06 and 1. FC Union played
6887-405: The other hand, was supported by the regional district management of the ruling SED party and sponsored by local state-owned enterprises . The club played some identificatory role in the unofficial opposition against the authorities of the communist system. Between 1979 and 1988, BFC Dynamo won ten consecutive East German league titles, with popular allegations of sporting misconduct helping to fuel
6984-466: The playoff – since it began in the 1981–82 season, the others being Bayer Uerdingen , 1. FC Saarbrücken , Stuttgarter Kickers , 1. FC Nürnberg and Fortuna Düsseldorf . Ahead of Union Berlin's debut season in the Bundesliga, the club signed Neven Subotić , Anthony Ujah and Christian Gentner , as well as re-signing Marvin Friedrich , who had scored a decisive goal against Stuttgart in the play-offs in
7081-507: The population) organized in over 31,000 football clubs. There is a league system , with the Bundesliga , 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga on top. The winner of the Bundesliga is crowned the German football champion . Additionally, there are national cup competitions, most notably the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and DFL-Supercup (German Supercup). The Germany national football team has won four FIFA World Cups ( 1954 , 1974 , 1990 , 2014 ), being
7178-491: The previous season to secure promotion for the club. The first ever Bundesliga goal was scored by Sebastian Andersson in a 1–1 draw against Augsburg . On 31 August 2019, the club beat Borussia Dortmund 3–1 in a home game, a result that secured its first win in a Bundesliga game. The team finished the season in 11th place, with Sebastian Andersson scoring 12 goals. On 22 May 2021, in Union Berlin's second Bundesliga season,
7275-475: The regional district management ( German : Bezirksleitung ) of the ruling SED party in East Berlin and local state-owned enterprises. The main sponsors would be VEB Kabelwerk Oberspree (KWO), VEB Transformatorenwerk Oberschöneweide (TRO) and VEB Werk für Fernsehelektronik (WF). 1. FC Union Berlin developed a bitter rivalry with BFC Dynamo , which was supported by the Stasi . While their arch rivals won 10 titles in
7372-430: The relegation play-offs. The club's supporters invaded the pitch after the victory, but no one was harmed. Union Berlin became the first Bundesliga club from the former East Berlin and the sixth from the former East Germany, after Dynamo Dresden , Hansa Rostock , VfB Leipzig , Energie Cottbus , and RB Leipzig . The team is the sixth to win promotion from the 2. Bundesliga by beating the 16th-placed Bundesliga team in
7469-503: The reunification of the city and country in 1990. From 2009 until 2019, they competed in the 2. Bundesliga , the second tier of German football. In 2019, Union won promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history. In 2021, Union finished seventh in the league to qualify to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League . In 2022, the club qualified for the UEFA Europa League by finishing fifth. The following season,
7566-417: The rivalry, and clashes between both sets of fans occurred. BFC Dynamo was seen as the supreme representative of the security agencies, with advantages in the recruitment of players and financial support, as well as the political clout of Erich Mielke . An expression among the supporters of Union Berlin was: "Better to be a loser than a stupid Stasi pig". Supporters of Union cultivated the image of their club as
7663-545: The same group in the first round. Meeting on 22 June 1974 in a politically charged match in Hamburg, East Germany beat West Germany 1–0, on a goal by Jürgen Sparwasser . Both German teams advanced to the second round anyway. The GDR team was eliminated there, while the DFB team eventually went on to win the tournament. In the year of German reunification (1990), West Germany secured its third World Cup as West and East Germans celebrated together. The present-day Germany national team
7760-462: The second footballer, after Mario Zagallo of Brazil, to become World Champion as a player (in 1974) and as team manager. In doing so, Beckenbauer also became the first captain of a winning team to later manage a winning squad. The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was held in the United States (changed from China due to the SARS epidemic) and won by Germany, who defeated Sweden by 2–1 in extra time. Earlier in
7857-513: The semifinals they had disposed of the defending champions and hosts, the United States , 3–0. Germany hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup . Thirty-two nations competed in the tournament, with matches played in a dozen cities ranging from Hamburg in the north to Munich in the south; Leipzig was the only former East city to hold matches (the matches at Berlin were held at former West Berliner territory). The opening match ( Germany vs Costa Rica )
7954-707: The shootout 5–3. Germany defeated Portugal 3–1 in the third place play off at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart on 8 July. Miroslav Klose won the Golden Boot for the highest goalscorer of the tournament with 5 goals. Lukas Podolski received the Best Young Player Award . The 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China and won by Germany, who became the first women's team to successfully defend
8051-496: The stadium soon needed to be expanded. The ground was first expanded in 1970 when the Gegengerade terrace was raised, whilst further extensions to the terracing at both ends in the late 1970s and early 1980s increased the capacity furthermore to 22,500. However, the somewhat spartan facilities at Alte Försterei had quickly begun to show their age and went into a serious decline. After German reunification , when Union were assigned by
8148-449: The supporters raised enough money to secure the club's license for fourth-division football through a campaign called 'Bleed for Union'. This catchphrase was not meant metaphorically. One element of the campaign was that fans donated blood to Berlin hospitals and then gave the money they received from the blood bank to their club. After 2010, Union Berlin became increasingly attractive for new Berliners, even internationals, who were drawn to
8245-501: The team finished first in Group B of the division and then defeated Blau-Weiß 90 (1–2, 3–0) to win the overall division title. That advanced the club to the national playoffs where they were put out by Rapid Wien in the opening group round (2–3, 1–3). Union resumed its place as an average side. They were relegated again in 1942 and played the final war-shortened Gauliga season in 1944–45. After World War II, occupying Allied authorities ordered
8342-629: The time. 1. FC Union Berlin was allegedly founded on the initiative of the powerful Herbert Warnke . Herbert Warnke was the chairman of the state-controlled national trade union FDGB and a member of the SED Politburo . Another SED politician and Politburo member who pushed for the founding of 1. FC Union Berlin was the SED First Secretary in East Berlin Paul Verner . Both ASK Vorwärts Berlin and SC Dynamo Berlin were associated with
8439-530: The title. In the opening match in Shanghai , Germany beat Argentina by a record 11–0. Nadine Angerer , the key goalkeeper, went unbeaten the entire tournament. In the final at Shanghai, Germany beat Brazil , 2–0. SC Union 06 Berlin Sport-Club Union 06 Berlin e.V. is a German association football club based in central Berlin . Like namesake 1. FC Union Berlin , the club traces its origin back to
8536-512: The two clubs engaged in cooperation for a time. Financial reasons led the clubs to grow apart again and a dispute over the stadium Alten Försterei saw 1. FC Union maintain its rights while Union 06 missed out. The club merged with SG Oberschöneweide in 1995 and played as SC Union 06 Oberschöneweide for a time but soon reverted to its old name. The club dropped as far as the tier nine Kreisliga B by 2000. It revived its relationship with 1. FC Union and, on occasions, played friendlies against
8633-602: The umbrella of the DFB. With the rise of Nazism, left-leaning sporting associations such as the ATSB and Rotsport were banned. Communist sporting officials such as Ernst Grube, Reichstag deputy and head of Rotsport, were murdered in concentration camps. The DFB integrated as Fachamt Reichsfußball into the National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise . From 1933 to 1945 the highest level of play in German football
8730-559: Was an elite formation; it was not possible to simply apply for the regiment. The Stasi selected who it thought were best fit to serve with the regiment, only accepting recruits who were "loyal to the line". Zingler had also been a member of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) and leader in the Free German Youth (FDJ) at the time. Speaking about the reports on Zingler in 2011, Union Press spokesman Christian Arbeit said: "We do have
8827-406: Was centered in the region of Franconia during the 1920s as 1. FC Nürnberg and SpVgg Fürth dominated the competition. In 1919, the proletarian Arbeiter-Turnbund was renamed Arbeiter-Turn- und Sportbund (ATSB). The name change especially reflected the incorporation of football into the federation, which promoted leftist political views and attempted to break the monopolisation of football under
8924-591: Was held on 9 June in the Allianz Arena in Munich , with Germany defeating Costa Rica 4–2. The final match took place in Olympiastadion Berlin one month later between Italy and France . The match was drawn 1–1 at full-time and after extra time. Zinedine Zidane was controversially sent off for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi with 10 minutes to go before the match went into penalties. France lost to Italy in
9021-467: Was organised in 16 Gauligen , whose winners qualified for the finals in the German championship, held at the end of season. After the war, Germany was occupied in three states. The DFB and its team continued in what was called West Germany , while the Saarland and East Germany fielded separate teams for some years. The FIFA World Cup 1974 was staged in West Germany, and both German teams were drawn in
9118-469: Was refused permission to travel to Kiel to play Hamburger SV by the Soviet occupation authorities . The team consequently decided to leave East Berlin for the western half of the city. It travelled to Kiel, lost 7–0 to HSV and shortly after formed a new club, the current SC Union 06 Berlin , on 9 June 1950 in West Berlin. SG Oberschöneweide continued to exist in East Berlin and eventually became what
9215-406: Was said to play his best in rainy weather. The Final saw the legendary Ferenc Puskás playing even though he was not fully fit. Despite this he put his team ahead after only 6 minutes and, with Zoltán Czibor adding another two minutes later, it seemed destined that the pre-tournament favourites would take the title. However, with a goal from Max Morlock on the tenth minute and Helmut Rahn on
9312-505: Was the SED Second Secretary in East Berlin, Hans Wagner. Even as a "civilian club", 1. FC Union Berlin was part of the state sports political system. The most important positions on the board of 1. FC Union Berlin would exclusively be held by directors of state-owned factories or SED representatives. 1. FC Union Berlin was state-funded and all club decisions had to be reported to the all-powerful central sports agency DTSB . In turn,
9409-401: Was used by two football clubs that shared a common origin as FC Olympia Oberschöneweide , founded in 1906 in Oberschöneweide , which at that time was a suburb 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
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