Closing Entry - The Highlights
Training Diary:
Ten eventful days at the training camp in Klosterpforte have come to an end. The players are heading back to Berlin before Saturday's match vs. French side Bordeaux. Here are the highlights of a rewarding trip.
Day 1: Arrival, Hotel Tour, Regeneration
The bus journey from Berlin to Klosterpforte took a lot longer than expected due to several ongoing road works en route. The training camp was located in between Bielefeld and Münster in Nordrhein-Westfalen. But after getting their feet on the ground, it was a good opportunity to check out the facility and the surroundings.
Day 2: Drills, Finishing, 11-vs-11
It was already high temperatures at the camp in Klosterpforte, with the team focusing on some finishing drills. The second session ended with an 11-v-11 game and an ice bath to cool down.
Training took place for the first time on the pitch nearest to the hotel. But it was a day of changes - firstly, the weather changed numerous times from sun, cloud and to rain. This happened also on the park with the Köpenick club welcoming Haji Wright on trial from Schalke 04. Meanwhile, the team and staff waved goodbye to Philipp Hosiner, the Austrian striker who returned to his homeland with Sturm Graz.
Day 4: Intense morning, free afternoon
Head coach Urs Fischer took charge of the session and forced the players to give 100% on the fourth day of training. During the lunch break, he spoke to our media team about progress so far. The afternoon was free for the players, while the staff enjoyed a game of bowling. The two returned together and enjoyed a barbecue in the evening.
Day 5: Tactics, Finishing, Recoveries
The team focused on various game aspects today, including tactics and individual skills. But the hero of the day was Christopher Trimmel who fetched a ball which ended up in the nearby river. The sessions were ended with finishing drills and some training with fitness coach Martin Krüger.
Day 6: Fitness, Match off, Internal Game
All attempts to put on a training game on day six were in vain as it was cancelled by local police a at the venue. Following a training session in the morning, the players were split into two team: Team Red and Team Blue. The latter ran out 2-ß winners with goals from new signings Joshua Mees and Ken Reichel.
After the bounce game the afternoon before, day 7 was all about rest and recovery. The players were under the attention of Martin Krüger, our fitness coach, who spoke to AFTV about the summer training programme.
Day 8: Sleep, Football Tennis, World Cup
The main topic of the day was, of course, the World Cup final. But first, coach Urs Fischer gave the players the option to attend breakfast or get some extra hours with their head down. The players turned up to lunch and sang Happy Birthday to Swedish striker Sebastian Andersson who also spoke to our club media team. At the Football Tennis competition, assistant coach Sebastian Bönig showed he hasn't lost his touch as the most impressive on show! Later, the players enjoyed the World Cup final between France and Croatia together and ran through a short video analysis of the game.
Day 9: Intense Preparations for Tomorrow's Friendly
A bit like waiting for the bus, two birthdays came along in successive days. This time, Christopher Schösswendter celebrated his 30th with some songs from the rest of the squad, as well as, a strawberry cake. The players then went through extra fitness drills, particularly shuttle runs, which made Martin Krüger delighted with the progress.
Day 10: Relaxed Morning Practice & Friendly Win
"Calm before the storm" was used as we warmed up before the friendly match against English side Norwich City. At the Stadion Laumeskamp in Delbrück, Union ran out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Kenny Prince Redondo and an own goal from Timm Klose. Jordan Rhodes briefly equalised for the visitors, coached by German Daniel Farke.
Day 11: Final Breakfast, Team Photo and Return Trip
To be specific, there were 11 days at the camp in Klosterpforte, albeit the final day was about the return trip to Berlin. The players joined the staff for a final breakfast before posing for a quick picture in front of the hotel. Preparations are back on track on Friday ahead of Saturday's friendly match at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei against Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.
Tickets are still available from the usual outlets for the match presented by IFA - at the club store at the stadium or online. Kick off is at 18:00 local time on Saturday July 21.
