Union coach: In the tunnel at kick-off, light at the final whistle
Union Berlin's debut season in the European Champions League should by no means turn into a zero-point agony. Before the first Champions League game in the club's history, coach Urs Fischer repeatedly emphasized that they had to enjoy these games.
On the fourth matchday, however, the Irons are already threatened with failure. If they lose again today at SSC Napoli, they will not be able to reach the knockout round in the two remaining games. And that's after twelve defeats in a row in three competitions.
"Of course, it's not the same enjoyment when you go through a phase like this," said Fischer at the press conference in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Nevertheless, they had to try, "because we've worked hard for a year".
After being promoted in 2019, the Unioners managed to stay in the Bundesliga in their first season. This was followed by qualification for the Conference League, then for the Europa League and last season, surprisingly, for the Champions League.
Fischer emphasized that in order to play successful soccer, you also need to have the necessary joy and fun. In the days of preparation for the game in Naples, his team had shown him "that they are prepared to try everything for 90 minutes to take the three points back to Berlin". When asked to what extent he could enjoy the game, the 57-year-old Swiss said: "When a game starts, I'm in the tunnel." When the referee "then blows the whistle, I see a bit of light again".
In this challenging Champions League campaign, 1st FC Union Berlin aims to avoid a scoreless run against SSC Napoli on the fourth matchday. Despite their current twelve-game losing streak across three competitions, coach Urs Fischer remains hopeful, explaining, "Even in this phase, we have to try because we've worked hard for a year."
By securing a spot in the Champions League following their promotion in 2019, Urs Fischer's Soccer team has consistently overachieved, first in the Bundesliga, then in the Conference League, Europa League, and now in Europe's elite club competition.
Source: www.dpa.com
