FC Union Berlin: A Tale of Blood, Sweat & Tears

Whatever might happen in German football between now and the end of the campaign, Union Berlin are the story of the 2019/20 season.

Against all odds and despite battling against sustained adversity for decades, the club is thriving - in a relative sense - in their first ever term in the Bundesliga.

Eight points clear of the German top flight's relegation play-off place, Union are in mid-table and almost certain to retain their status as a Bundesliga side when the season does eventually end - a remarkable feat considering their history.

Here is the story of Union Berlin...

Volatile Beginnings

Formed for the workers of Berlin, Union - in their current form - were established in 1966 in what was a turbulent time for the city.

Based in the east side of the capital, under German Democratic Republic (GDR) occupation, Union played their matches in the DDR Oberliga - East Germany's top flight.

Their main city rivals? BFC Dynamo, the police team who were backed by the terrifying Stasi - the GDR's official state security service. With their working-class roots, Union became the anti-establishment club; matches were frequented by opponents of the state as fans chanted their displeasure from the relative anonymity of the stands.

Punks and rebels regularly attended games as they continued their defiance of the largely opposed GDR throughout the Cold War period, creating the unique and raucous atmosphere in the stadium that is present still to this day.

Financial Hardships & 'Bleeding for Union'

With the fall of the Berlin wall and subsequent unification of the German leagues, Union would go on to suffer a series of financial hardships as the club struggled to stay afloat.

Having won the Regionalliga in 1993/94, Union were denied entry into German football's second tier for trying to forge bank guarantees as the club had insufficient funds to compete.

In 2000/01 Union finally gained promotion to the 2. Bundesliga and in the same year remarkably reached the DFB-Pokal final, losing to Schalke in the final.

Success was short-lived for the Berlin side as they were relegated back down to the third tier and found themselves unable to pay the Regionalliga registration fee in 2004.

This prompted an astounding act of solidarity from Union supporters as they started the 'Bleed for Union' campaign, where fans gave blood in order to raise funds for the club's survival.

Club president and lifelong fan Dirk Zingler's contribution - combined with the money raised through the fundraiser - was enough to see Union soldier on. The heartfelt backing from the fans was not enough to stave off a successive relegations as Union plummeted down into the fourth tier of German football.

Fan-Built Success

Zingler made the controversial decision to retain a professional squad in what was a semi-professional division, but it was a risk that paid off as Union bounced back up in to the Regionalliga.

Financial difficulties emerged again in 2007/08, while the club's home. Stadion An der Alten Försterei, was in desperate need of renovation from its dilapidated state.

With the club lacking the necessary funds, the fans stepped in yet again, astonishingly modernising and expanding the stadium themselves. Some 2,400 supporters put in an incredible 140,000 hours of voluntary work redeveloping the ground to its current state.

The fan's hard work paid off as Union were able to seal promotion to the 2. Bundesliga the following season. Unlike their first stint in the second tier, Union would remain a stable contender in the division right up until their shock promotion in 2018/19.

This season, for the first time in their history, Union had their taste of German top-flight football. An opportunity they have seized with both hands.

Severely underfunded for most of their existence, many believed (myself included) Union would be a team drifting in and out of the relegation zone with survival their main target.

With 25 matches played Union are defying the odds, sitting comfortably in mid-table on 30 points, notably managing a Berlin derby win over rivals Hertha in their historic first ever Bundesliga meeting.

Staying Up & Looking Ahead

With confirmation of the Bundesliga's restart later this month, Union will be looking to build on their season.

Speaking with the Bundesliga's official website, experienced centre-back Neven Subotic spoke of the clubs aspirations: "I look at it with a different mindset, and so do most of the players here at the club. They don't want to be here for a year. They want to be here and establish themselves as Bundesliga players."

Union's history is an inspiring one, from the brink of extinction in the lower leagues to exceeding expectations in the top flight. The club's financial defiance has made them resilient and strong, a transcendent feeling shared by fans and players alike.

In English football we have seen notable examples in Bournemouth, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, teams that have faced imminent liquidation but were saved at the last minute and find themselves thriving for multiple years in the Premier League.

Though it is the uniqueness of Union's fan led intervention, passionately resuscitating the club through their improvised efforts, that is wholly incomparable to any other team's journey from the depths of despair.