Horst Heldt assumes control at Union Berlin.
Union Berlin starts off as potential contenders for the Champions League, but ends up fighting to remain in the Bundesliga. The club is now undergoing a major change in management. Horst Heldt, an experienced manager, has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Sport.
Currently 54 years old, Heldt left Cologne three years ago and will replace Oliver Ruhnert on July 1st, as per a recent club announcement. Ruhnert had recently extended his contract with Union, but has chosen to step down and focus on scouting. There were reports about the agreement on a TV channel called Sky prior to the official announcement.
Heldt is viewed as an expert in the Bundesliga scene. He was the manager who helped VfB Stuttgart win the German championship in 2007. More recently, he held the position of Managing Director at 1. FC Koln until 2021.
Dirk Zingler, the club's statement read, had this to say about their new appointee: "We've added a seasoned Bundesliga manager to our team, who will join us in the summer but has already been involved in all our planning. Oliver Ruhnert will remain with us and will work closely with Horst Heldt." The two have a past together, as they both were at Schalke 04 in the past.
Aiming for a stronger season
With a disappointing season and botched transfers, it's now up to Heldt to plan for a more successful time for Union. The priority is to find a new coach for their sixth Bundesliga season. The team is on the brink of a major overhaul. Departures of Brenden Aaronson, Robin Knoche, and Jakob Busk have already occurred. There's a possibility that Robin Gosen could also leave soon.
Heldt considers Union a "stable force" in the realm of German professional soccer. "The rapid development and extraordinary achievements in recent years are both remarkable and impressive. It's not uncommon to face a challenging season from time to time. This is all part of establishing ourselves in the Bundesliga, and it could prove beneficial in the future," Heldt said.
Ruhnert's controversial transfers
Ruhnert joined Union in 2017. He came from Schalke 04, where he worked as head of the youth department and then became the team's chief scout. Despite a difficult first season where Union underperformed, he was promoted to managing director and was tasked with finding a coach. He quickly secured Swiss coach Urs Fischer, who helped the team enter a highly successful era.
In conjunction with President Zingler and the new coach, Ruhnert played a crucial role in taking the team to new heights. Despite this, their disappointing performance in the last season caused question marks over his transfer decisions. The likes of Gosens, Kevin Volland, and Leonardo Bonucci failed to deliver as expected in Union's first foray into the Champions League.
Reflecting on his tenure at Union, Ruhnert expressed his pride: "In the past seven years, we have gone from strength to strength and achieved things never seen before at this club. It took a great deal of effort, but it's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything."
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Horst Heldt, the new Managing Director of Sport at 1.FC Union Berlin, played a crucial role in helping VfB Stuttgart win the German championship in 2007 during his tenure as a manager. With Union Berlin struggling in the Bundesliga after a disappointing season and botched transfers, Heldt will now be tasked with planning for a more successful future and finding a new coach for the club.
Source: www.ntv.de
