Union Berlin enjoyed the best season in club history in 2035/36 as they finished in a record high of 2nd in Bundesliga and won their first major trophy as Ruprecht Prusseit led them to the Europa Conference League. Now they had to step up to the challenges of competing in the Champions League for the first time.
Union came into the new season with £155m in the bank and a bumper £82m transfer kitty. Furthermore, Prusseit’s board was so happy with his efforts that they handed him another new contract on £35k a week until 2040. They also announced plans to increase the stadium capacity by 5,000 seats to 27,515.
Despite the finances available to him, Prusseit didn’t see a need to go out and spend it all. However, he did move to lock down players like striker Michael Storskov, midfielders Satoru Iida and Abdelkarim Belkacem, full-backs Ali Anani and Mathias Nillson Morsing and centre-back Mathias Ammermann, who then went out on loan, to new contracts.
He then strengthened his defence with left-back/centre-back Papel for a club record £13.5m from Fluminense and right-back Nicolás Quiroga for £2.5m from River Plate. They were joined by exciting midfielder Adolfo Ferreira for £9m from Club América.
Prusseit’s plans were dealt a blow as Arsenal, Bayern and Juventus met the £40m release fee of winger Omar Nzeyimana and the treacherous so-and-so obviously chose Bayern. But getting £40m for a player 12 months after paying £625k is impressive. Prusseit recalled wonderkid Leandro from his loan spell in Mexico that’s definitely aided his progression. But it’s fair to say that Prusseit had developed a deep hatred for Bayern after they nicked his best two players and their ridiculous unbeaten run last season.
Prusseit was now locked into the 4-2-4 approach he’d implemented successfully last season. Miroslav Milosevic was deployed as a false nine behind main man Storskov with Iida and Belkacem in the holding roles.
Fifth Season In Bundesliga
Union had well and truly established themselves in Bundesliga but they were still only fancied to finish 10th with title odds of 33/1. Bayern, who haven’t lost since December, are now Evens followed by Leipzig (7/1) and Dortmund (17/2).
Season five in Bundesliga began with a Berliner Derby as Union entertained Hertha. They got a great start as Iida scored inside three minutes and doubled his tally just before the break, which doubled his Union goal tally in his previous 117 league appearances! Centre-back Mikulas Mraz made it 3-0 after the break before Hertha got two undeserved goals back.
Another local rival followed with a visit from promoted Hansa Rostock and Union thumped them 4-0 with goals by centre-back Jean-Paul Vogt, strikers Milosevic and Claudio Sepúlveda and winger Grga Picak. A first away day saw a tricky game in Leverkusen but another solid defensive effort earned a fortunate 0-0 before a 2-0 win at Nürnberg and 1-1 at Gladbach.
Prusseit’s decision to commit to two up top was working nicely, as proven by Storskov and Milosevic both bagging braces in a 4-1 thumping of Frankfurt. That result moved them top as Hertha did them a favour by drawing 0-0 at Bayern and they stayed there as Leandro’s first goal back at the club nicked a 2-1 win at home to Freiburg.
Winger Bruno Rodríguez defended his FIFA Best U21 Men’s Player in October and celebrated with a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win at St. Pauli. And he scored again as a Picak double inspired a 4-2 win over promoted Schalke. Then a Storskov double downed 10-man Wolfsburg 2-0 to take Union 20 Bundesliga games unbeaten. And, after 10 games, that had Union five points clear as Bayern lost for the first time in 26 games at Gladbach.
Union Berlin’s Champions League Debut
Union Berlin’s first-ever taste of the Champions League saw them go into the main league phase. They got a decent set of fixtures including games against Anderlecht, Viktoria Plzen and Feyenoord but tough trips to Arsenal and PSG and a home game against Chelsea. And it’s fair to say no-one fancied Union, with odds of 600/1 to win it!
Prusseit and Union’s first Champions League game was at home to Anderlecht. They started well and eventually got their reward as Leandro’s first two assists for the club created goals for Rodríguez and Storskov. A tougher first away day followed but Union upset the odds as the exciting Sepúlveda’s second-half hat trick inspired a 4-1 win at Valencia.
Feyenoord at home was up next and Union did well to hold them to a 0-0 before their toughest game yet, as they lost 3-0 at Arsenal. A more winnable away game took them to Czech Republic and Rodríguez created two goals in two minutes for Storskov and Leandro before a late Picak strike sealed a 3-0 win.
Prusseit had to rotate at home to Galatasaray and his team delivered as a Lucas brace and another Sepúlveda strike earned a vital 3-1 victory. That left Union just outside the top eight heading and realistically safe in the top 24 heading into their final two games.
Tricky Run Of League Games
Union came into the final few games of 2036 as surprise leaders and still undefeated in Bundesliga. Quickfire goals from two of their South American contingent, centre-back Cláudio Borborema and Sepúlveda, earned a 2-1 win at struggling Köln and extended their lead at the top to seven points as Bayern drew with Freiburg. But now the fixtures got tricky.
First up was fellow OstDeutscher side Leipzig and they played out a dire 0-0. An easier game followed at bottom side Werder Bremen and they eased to a 4-0 win through Iida, Rodríguez, Sepúlveda and Ferreira’s first senior goal.
That set them up for a huge game with a visit from 2nd-place Bayern, who Union hadn’t beaten in 20 meetings over 10 years. Union had the better of the first half only for Bayern to take a completely undeserved lead in stoppage time. Prusseit continued to push, threw subs on and they eventually got their reward as Sepúlveda got the equaliser seven minutes from time.
Another tough game followed at 3rd-place Stuttgart. Prusseit dropped goal-shy Storskov and was rewarded as the increasingly impressive Sepúlveda ran riot with a hat-trick alongside Milosevic scoring and getting two assists in a 6-1 hammering that demonstrated how good this Union team had become. The duo of Sepúlveda and Milosevic scored again to defeat Hamburg 3-0 before a huge final game of the year.
Union went to 7th-place Dortmund still unbeaten but their 26-game streak ended with a narrow 2-1 loss. That left them two points clear of Bayern at the halfway point of the season. Rodríguez is the best player in the league with a 7.53 average rating while he and Picak have eight assists only bettered by the nine of Stuttgart’s Henrique Pereira.
Union’s promising starlets were shining bright. But the most exciting may be Sepúlveda, who won the European Golden Boy after scoring 20 in 31 through 2036, including 12 in 19 this season. While Rodríguez, who won the award the previous year, has an incredible 7.53 average rating of 7.53 in 23 games.
Could Union maintain their place at the top of Bundesliga? And would they make it into the Champions League knockouts? Join us on Monday to find out!
Football Manager Addict 
Leave a comment