- Union Captain Trimmel: "We are tired, all of us"
Captain Christopher Trimmel does not expect his 1. FC Union Berlin team to fully implement their new coach's concept right from the start of the season. The 37-year-old Austrian emphasized in the training camp in Neuruppin that things won't run perfectly at first, but they are optimistic about covering most of Coach Bo Svensson's ideas.
The focus is on the team's playing style, which is set to change significantly on the pitch following the coaching change. While Union was previously known for their fighting spirit after their first promotion, Trimmel, who is also a veteran, admits that their playing skills needed improvement. He hopes to lead the team again as captain next season, but this is not yet confirmed.
Svensson's new playing ideas
After many successful years, Union parted ways with Swiss coach Urs Fischer following a severe sporting crisis, with Croatian Nenad Bjelica eventually taking over the reins. The Berliners managed to avoid relegation. On July 1, Svensson took over as head coach at the Alte Försterei.
He is training the team to adopt new behaviors on the pitch, including more intense play with the ball, although Trimmel stresses, "We won't be pressing every opponent like mad." There is a clear plan, and they will try to implement it.
The players are feeling the change in training during this summer's preparations, with shorter, more intense sessions. "It's a different kind of strain for most of us," Trimmel explains. "We're all tired. We've done a lot of work."
Prediction: Hard work until the end
They still have some time until the start of the season. On August 17, they will face Greifswalder FC in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, followed by a match against 1. FSV Mainz 05, Svensson's former club, a week later. "Anything is possible," Trimmel says about the new season. "But there's still a lot of work to be done. It will probably be hard work until the end."
The first team to embrace Svensson's new playing ideas is FC Union Berlin, as Captain Trimmel acknowledges. Despite anticipating bumps along the road, Trimmel remains optimistic about incorporating most of the coach's concepts.
The intense training sessions under Svensson are a stark contrast to Union's previous routine, with Trimmel admitting that the players are feeling the strain of the more demanding workload.
