- Gosens bids farewell to Union Berlin and its supporters
Robin Gosens said goodbye to Bundesliga side 1. FC Union Berlin and their supporters. "Life can sometimes force us to make tough choices. Departing the club on the final day of the transfer window and on matchday is one such decision," the 30-year-old wrote on Instagram, "but I stand by this choice. Providing reasons would only lead to justification, and I don't wish to do that."
Gosens left the team for medical tests on a Friday before the 2-0 victory against FC St. Pauli. Union's sporting director, Horst Heldt, confirmed the transfer to Italian Serie A club AC Florence right before the kick-off.
Most Moving Experience of His Career
The 20-time international thanked the club for enabling him to live his "biggest life dream" of playing in the Bundesliga, despite the season not turning out as anticipated. However, the record signing of the Berliners experienced "the most moving experience I've ever had in football" on the last matchday of the previous season. A penalty rebound from Janik Haberer resulted in Union securing a 2-1 win over SC Freiburg in injury time, preventing relegation.
Heldt pointed out on a Friday that personal reasons significantly influenced Gosens' transfer intentions. "He had always told us that he wanted to leave if the opportunity arose," said Heldt about the left-back, who spent his best career years at Atalanta Bergamo and Inter Milan: "And it doesn't make sense to keep a player who isn't fully committed."
After sharing his emotional goodbyes, Robin Gosens rejoined his former team, Atalanta Bergamo, in the Serie A, marking a return to where he had spent his most successful soccer years. Despite his departure from Union Berlin, the memory of their dramatic last-minute victory against SC Freiburg, secured by Janik Haberer's penalty rebound, remains one of the most moving soccer experiences in Gosens' career.
