Union Berlin now has a new coach: Bo Svensson.
FC Union Berlin has zeroed in on their desired candidate for the head coach position. Bo Svensson is all set to restore stability to Köpenick. A bunch of tasks lie ahead for the Dane, who replaces Nenad Bjelica, who was let go shortly before the end of the season, and interim coach Marco Grote.
Union Berlin has expedited the clarification of their sporting leadership roles. With Bo Svensson on board as their coach, the Köpenickers aim to reclaim their previous power in their sixth year in the Bundesliga. As the club proclaimed in the evening hours, the 44-year-old Dane is taking over from Nenad Bjelica, who was dismissed shortly before the conclusion of the season, and interim coach Marco Grote. Pay-TV broadcaster Sky had earlier reported about the agreement between the Köpenickers and the former Mainz player.
In a statement from Union, president Dirk Zingler said, "In close consultation with Oliver Ruhnert and Horst Heldt, we have determined a new sporting start in the summer and believe that Bo Svensson is a coach who is a suitable match for our club." As usual, the Berliners did not reveal the length of the contract.
"The unity that Union exudes, the unity between the team, fans, staff, and club administration, is an extremely crucial factor," said the coach himself. "I'm looking forward to the path ahead, and I will do all I can to ensure we have a productive season."
The Coach's Bench Instead of Teaching
It was only on Tuesday, three days after the club was relegated, that Iron introduced Heldt as their new managing director of professional soccer. Just like Svensson, the official won't start his new position until July but will already be involved in all planning. His first official move with the Berliners didn't take long.
Svensson took over the Köpenickers only a year after making it to the Champions League, almost at the sporting nadir. After an anxious season filled with defeats, two changes of managers, and a last-minute rescue from the Bundesliga, the unsettled team lacked self-confidence. The collective unity and determination that has seen the Berliners eclipse better teams in recent years has seldom been noticeable.
The Dane is reputed to be smart, emphatic, and someone who questions his own actions more than those of his players. After retiring as an active professional soccer player in 2014, he initially wanted to study and "maybe work as a teacher with young people," as Svensson once mentioned. But his compatriot Kasper Hjulmand brought him onto the coaching staff at Mainz 05, where he served as head coach from 2021 to 2023.
Urs Fischer's Footprints Are Massive
He has until the start of the Bundesliga at the end of August to work alongside sporting director Heldt and rebuild Berlin's infrastructure and restore the lost virtues to his team. Union will want to slash their squad size and trim their expenses since they won't be playing internationally for the first time in three years next season. Different from last year, personnel planning should be completed early.
Svensson will be sought after as a mental coach and psychologist in his initial weeks. The Scandinavian was also considered Union's preferred choice due to his humane and emotional nature.
Following much coaching turbulence last season, Union now needs consistency on the sideline once again. The footprints that Urs Fischer left behind in November after more than five years are still of significant size. Bjelica couldn't even attempt to fill them during his five-month stint. Neither could interim coach Grote in his brief time in office.
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Source: www.ntv.de
