Today, Wednesday, the Bundesliga team of 1. FC Union Berlin kicked off the 2024/25 season with their first official training session.

Tests completed - now, to the pitch

The team had already completed a series of sporting and medical tests at the Charité hospital and the Stadion An der Alten Försterei over the last two days, but at last, under overcast skies and in front of around 250 spectators, new head coach Bo Svensson assembled his squad on the pitch for the first time.

Squad still incomplete

Though they weren't all there yet, for some the season has barely yet ended. Aïssa Laïdouni was absent, as the midfielder was still playing for Tunisia in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in June and, like all the other Union players who had represented their countries in the European Championship - Tymoteusz Puchacz, Frederik Rönnow, Josip Juranović, László Bénes, András Schäfer and Leopold Querfeld – is enjoying a well-earned holiday and will join the team in the coming weeks.

Kevin Volland was also absent as he is completing a rehabilitation programme following knee surgery.

In order to still be able to carry out the planned exercises, Svensson and his coaching team therefore called up the U-19s youngsters Julien Friedrich, Jerome Scholz and Jaden Rodtnick to the training squad, and they were just as much in the spotlight as Union's returnees from loans away, Jordan Siebatcheu, Tim Skarke, Aljoscha Kemlein, David Preu and Yannic Stein. In the absence of goalkeeping coach Michael Gspurning, who only yesterday (Tuesday) saw his Austrian team lose to Turkey and with it were knocked out of the European Championships, the stoppers were attended to by new U-17 and U-19's goalkeeping coach, another former Unioner, Marcel Höttecke.

The outfield players, on the other hand, completed individual and group passing and finishing drills under the guidance of co-trainer Babak Keyhanfar.

Friendly on Saturday

The Bundesliga team of 1. FC Union Berlin will play their first pre-season friendly on Saturday, 6 July 2024. The match at BSG Chemie Leipzig will kick off at 15:30 and is already sold out. AFTV, however, is offering a live stream for anyone without a ticket.