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UNION BERLIN travel to Frankfurt tomorrow knowing that three points against Eintracht will take them to sixth, leapfrogging Bayer Leverkusen and landing in a European qualification place.
Having spent a brief moment in the top four earlier in the season, the club from the German capital have already spent time in loftier positions during this campaign, but for a team who played in the 1. Bundesliga for the first time just last season, it’s still unfamiliar territory.
After promotion to the top flight in 2019 under head coach Urs Fischer, Union were tipped to go straight back down. Instead, they managed an 11th place finish, 10 points clear of the relegation play-off spot, 11 clear of automatic relegation and only behind city rivals Hertha on goal difference.
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JAMES NALTON takes a look at the German league’s move to grow its audience in Britain, and around the future of football on TV in general
Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON
JAMES NALTON writes how at the heart of the big apple, the beautiful game exists as something more community-oriented, which could benefit hugely under mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani