1. FC Union Berlin will play in the forthcoming second half of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season without David Datro Fofana. The 21-year-old will return to his parent club, Chelsea FC, with immediate effect.

Two important goals

After six months at the Alte Försterei, the Ivorian has made a total of 17 appearances in the shirt of Union, scoring two goals and providing one assist. In his very first competitive match in the first round of the DFB Pokal at FC-Astoria Walldorf, he was awarded a penalty, which Robin Knoche converted to give his side the lead. Later in November, it was also Fofana who scored the equaliser in the UEFA Champions League match at SSC Napoli to secure the first long-awaited point after twelve games without one, and he also played a decisive role in the success in his last appearance in a Union shirt. In the home win against 1. FC Köln before the winter break, he scored after coming on as a substitute to make the final score 2-0.

Views on his departure

"With David, we brought in a completely new type of player last summer who was supposed to give us additional options in attack” said Oliver Ruhnert, Union’s director of men’s professional football. “There are various reasons why the collaboration didn't work out as we had hoped in the end. We would like to thank David for his achievements and wish him all the best for the future."