Bundesliga Championship FC Union Berlin challenges Bundesliga title.
In 1989, the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War, began to fall. Both East and West Germany longed for reunification. Amid the aspirations of the German people, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and East German Chancellor Hans Modrow held hands at the Brandenburg Gate. On August 31, 1990, the German Reunification Treaty was signed in Berlin. On September 12, the two Germanys, which had been divided, became one as they received approval from the powers that were dividing and occupying Berlin.
The football leagues were also merged, and East German clubs were eager to compete in the Bundesliga. But it was a vain dream. This is because the so-called ‘weight class was different’ from the West German clubs. Even though East Germany had the highest level of economic capability as a communist country before reunification [Per capita GDP of 5469 euros (approximately 7.3 million won), * quoted by the German Embassy in Halle Economic Research Institute, ‘The Changing Economy (Wirtschaft im Wandel)’ 2011/4 Excerpt from the book] Just as they struggled after reunification, so did the East German club.
East German clubs were no match for West German clubs in terms of financial size. Since they were not opponents in terms of team size, so was the club’s revenue.
In fact, among the teams participating in the Bundesliga in this 2022/23 season, there are only two clubs from the former East Germany. RB Leipzig and Union. In the case of Hertha BSC Berlin, like Union, it is based in Berlin, but it is excluded because it is a club located in West Berlin, which was the territory of West Germany before reunification.
RB Leipzig is also difficult to call an East German club. It is true that RB Leipzig is based in Leipzig, a former East German region. However, in 2009, SSV Markranstedt was acquired and refounded, so it is difficult to include the history of the former East Germany. The management of the club also depends on parent company Red Bull rather than following the traditional 50+1 rule. 슬롯사이트 Therefore, it can be said that Union is the only club in East Germany that protects the pride of East Germany.
Such Union is an East German club that is showing its potential to survive in the Bundesliga, but is still financially inferior to West German clubs. Union faced several crises along the way.
It was Union fans who saved the team each time.