1. FC Union Berlin and Rafal Gikiewicz will go their separate ways at the end of the current season. The club will not offer a further contract after the current was not accepted.

The Polish goalkeeper joined from Freiburg in the summer of 2018 and has played in all competitive matches since then – 67 in total. Gikiewicz played a major role in the club's first promotion to the Bundesliga, including his memorable contributions of an assist against Duisburg and a goal to equalise in stoppage time at home to Heidenheim. In 25 matches so far in the Bundesliga, he has kept six clean sheets.

"Rafal Gikiewicz has left an extraordinary mark on Union and he is certainly a player with whom we associate extraordinary experiences and who we will remember long and fondly after this season. After several rounds of negotiations, however, we were unable to reach a financial agreement, so we decided to re-orient ourselves with regards to the goalkeeping position. First of all, however, we are concentrating together on the current season, which we want to bring to a successful end by retaining our Bundesliga status," explained Oliver Ruhnert, 1. FC Union Berlin's Director of Professional Football.

"When this season is over, I will look back on two very special years here. We've been promoted and we already have 30 points in the Bundesliga on our books and good chances of retaining our status. I want to achieve this target with Union, then there will be a new club in my life and a new goalkeeper for Union," said the goalkeeper who will leave at the end of his contract.

Rafal Gikiewicz's contract ends on June 30, 2020. He was elected "Unioner of the Year" in 2019.