1. FC Union Berlin have bolstered options on the left-side of the defence with the signing of experienced Bastian Oczipka. The 32-year-old is a free transfer after leaving his former club Schalke at the end of last season.

Oczipka brings 286 Bundesliga appearances under his belt to Köpenick where he will continue his career. After coming through at Bayer Leverkusen, he made his Bundesliga debut there with loan spells at Hansa Rostock and St. Pauli. Oczipka signed for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2012 and he would become a regular for the Eagles over the next five seasons. He eventually moved to Schalke in 2017 until the expiry of his contract this summer.

"The path that 1. FC Union Berlin has taken in recent years is really impressive, so I am delighted to now be part of this club. After last season, which was also disappointing for me personally, I felt extremely comfortable in all discussions with those responsible at Union and can't wait to put myself at the service of the team here," said the full-back.

"Bastian is an extremely versatile and experienced player who will bring us more variation thanks to these qualities. We are delighted that he has accepted this challenge," said Oliver Ruhnert, 1. FC Union Berlin's Managing Director for Professional Football.