Union Berlin are under pressure in their Europa Conference League home match. Only a win against Rotterdam will increase their chances of advancing. However, the match is also explosive in terms of fan concerns.
For 1. FC Union Berlin, it will be the biggest home game in international history. 28,000 tickets were sold on Wednesday for the return match against Feyenoord Rotterdam on Thursday (9pm). This means that more supporters than ever before will be at a European Cup match for the Köpenicker.
Fischer: “We can read the table “
The Berlin Senate allowed (rather late) 30,000 visitors to the Olympiastadion on Wednesday. So around 2000 tickets can still be ordered by club members. In Group E, Union is under pressure. The team is currently bottom of the table with three points. Feyenoord, on the other hand, are top of the table with seven points. “We can read the table. The team knows that a win would help,” said coach Urs Fischer.
Attacker Max Kruse is out again. He did not take part in the final training because of a thigh injury. Defender Marvin Friedrich is set to make his comeback after overcoming a corona infection.
First leg with bitter aftertaste
It’s served. “It was supposed to be a celebration,” says Union coach Urs Fischer. But the circumstances surrounding the first leg in Rotterdam were already bad. On the morning of the match, a Köpenicke club delegation was attacked by Feyenoord hooligans in a pub in the city centre. Immediately before the match, there were clashes between the Rotterdam police and Union supporters. Some were injured, mostly for unknown reasons. In addition, Feyenoord let the admission slip so that hundreds (!) of Union fans missed large parts of the match.
Nevertheless, Union will give the guests 5200 tickets for tomorrow. Those responsible prefer the Dutch to be inside the stadium and not outside. Nevertheless, strict block and path separation will be observed. The Feyenoord fans, many of whom are considered violent, are to arrive by underground and will then be directed through the Olympic Park to the visitors’ block. Barriers have also been erected within sight of Hertha BSC’s training ground.
Union fans, on the other hand, are expected to arrive by S-Bahn. The match will be accompanied by a large police contingent. Union will provide 800 stewards, more than ever before. The hosts hope that everything will remain calm in and around the stadium. However, there have already been skirmishes in the city centre. On Wednesday night, two Dutchmen painted the East Side Gallery 18 metres wide by two metres with the words “Feyenoord”. They were arrested. On Wednesday afternoon, fans of Union and later Hertha immortalised themselves on the wall. In the evening, pyrotechnics were set off by Rotterdam supporters in the Hackescher Markt pub district. Berlin is obviously in for two hot nights.