1. FC Union Berlin: The long journey of Union footballers to the 2nd Bundesliga

The season was only three minutes old when the first goal was scored: Hertha BSC – 1. FC Union Berlin 1-0. But Ailien Poese turned out to be right. In mid-August, shortly before the start of the season in the Regionalliga Nordost, the coach of Union’s footballers boldly announced in the “nd” conversation: “We want to win every game.” The kickers from Köpenick conceded four more goals – in the entire season ! With a goal difference of 145:5, the Berliners reached the optimum ten months later with 22 wins in 22 games.

Henstedt-Ulzburg confidently

But Poese had already thought ahead back then. Because the stated goal of promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga can only be achieved via relegation, she wants to win two more games with her team. This Sunday the time has come: for the first leg, Union women welcome SV Henstedt-Ulzburg in the Alte Försterei. Just as confidently as the Berliners, the footballers from Schleswig-Holstein won the championship title in the Regionalliga Nord with just one defeat.

Lisa Heiseler knows how to score goals – even against Henstedt-Ulzburg. Seven years ago she put the Berliners in the lead, but the duels against their league rivals at the time were lost 1:4 and 0:4. 1. FC Union was relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga. Today, the 25-year-old leads the “Iron Ladies,” as the women’s team is called in the club, as captain. With 23 goals, the midfielder made a significant contribution to the championship title. At the beginning of this week, Heiseler reported “great anticipation throughout the team for the two games.” You’ll believe her straight away when you see the sparkle in her eyes.

Nobody at 1. FC Union doubts that things will be different this time against Henstedt-Ulzburg. After all, a lot has changed in Köpenick. This season, women have also been playing professional football for the first time. For Heiseler, who has now been playing in the red and white jersey for twelve years, it was a dream come true. She has yet to complete her training as a physiotherapist, “I have been a professional footballer since the summer of 2023,” she says, her eyes beaming again. According to coach Poese, the team made a “giant leap” again in the spring when they moved into the new “Oberspree training center”.

In the living room

Another part of Union’s women’s brave new football world are games in the Alte Försterei. Heiseler is looking forward to “being able to play in the living room” on Sunday. It’s more motivation than pressure, she says, and refers to the successful dress rehearsal at the end of April in the 5-0 league game against Hertha BSC in front of a good 12,000 spectators. More than 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the game against Henstedt-Ulzburg.

The new opportunities, the appreciation within the club and the great support of the fans are motivation for Union footballers. “I now often get an “Iron” on the street in Köpenick, even when I’m out and about without club clothing,” says trainer Poese. According to Heiseler, the players really appreciate “when President Dirk Zingler watches our games” or “Christian Arbeit is also our stadium announcer.”

Normal training week

Because everything is going so well, Poese has hardly changed anything before the “two games that matter.” The scouting reports from the Henstedt games were discussed on Thursday, otherwise it was “a pretty normal training week.” She says of her opponent that he dominated the league. She also knows that the best striker and the defense chief will be injured. But for Union’s coach, the focus is on her own team: “We want to play our game.” Poese doesn’t see her own dominance in the league as a problem. She and her players were able to learn from “some games that were close.” Heiseler adds: “We viewed every game as a top game.”

Both the coach and the player see an advantage in having home advantage first. “We don’t have to travel and feel comfortable preparing at home,” explains Poese. And Heiseler wants to “lay the foundation stone” in the Alte Försterei so that he can celebrate promotion a week later in Schleswig-Holstein.

But what if? So if 22 wins and 145 goals were in vain in the end. Poese only briefly addresses this scenario and says that Union will then have to make a new attempt. With complete conviction in her voice, the coach quickly concludes this topic: “I believe in my team!” If the goal is achieved, the really big dream could quickly come true. 1. FC Union also wants to get its footballers into the 1st Bundesliga. For this purpose, professional structures were created that make further promotion seem realistic: Hamburger SV won the relegation game against Viktoria Berlin last year, and this season they were only four points short of making it through to the first division.