Emmanuel Thomas, DPA, Sunday, May 7, 2023
LEIPZIG – Union Berlin aim to cap their best Bundesliga season by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time, managing director Oliver Ruhnert said ahead of a key game against Freiburg.
But Ruhnert also said on Sunday in a football programme of broadcasters Sport1 that missing out would not be the end of the world either.
“It’s a dream for us this year as well,” Ruhnert said. “Of course, no one is fighting against it. And if you’re standing there three matchdays before the end, I’ll be damned if I’m going to say we want to finish sixth. Of course that is a goal. But in the end, we’re very happy to take everything as it comes.”
Promoted in 2019, Union finished seventh in their second season and fifth last term to qualify for the Conference League and Europa League, respectively.
But now it could be the showcase Champions League with potential opponents including Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City, and plenty of additional income.
A top four finish is required, and Union have been in the top four all season except for two matchdays. They even topped the table for seven weeks in autumn.
Union are fourth at the moment coming off a 1-0 defeat at lowly Augsburg on Saturday, one point behind RB Leipzig and tied on points with fifth-place Freiburg.
Union host Freiburg, who have also never been in the Champions League, next Saturday in what could be a match defining both sides’ fate. Freiburg also lost on the weekend, 1-0 at home to Leipzig.
“I believe it will be tight until the end,” said Ruhnert, who however also cited their strong home record of 21 games without defeat.
“Of the three games to come now two are at the Alte Försterei [their stadium] and at home it is not so easy to beat us,” he said.
