Union Berlin is on course for growth and has big plans for the future. An important building block: the expansion of the “Alte Försterei”. The club is planning major investments in its own stadium. During the work, the Iron Family want to find shelter with their unpopular city rival.
President Dirk Zingler has announced major investments in the Bundesliga soccer club 1. FC Union Berlin. The Köpenickers want to invest around 150 million euros in the coming years in the expansion of the stadium An der Alten Försterei and a new training center. “We are facing the largest and most important investment phase in our history,” said Zingler at the general meeting in the Tempodrom. After the conversion, the stadium should have a capacity of around 37,700 seats, of which 8,500 are seats. There is currently “only” room for 22,012 spectators in the cult venue in Köpenick.
The 58-year-old also announced that the club had bought the property on which the stadium is located from the city of Berlin. The plan is to start expanding the stadium in the summer of 2024 at the earliest. The original plans for this were presented in 2017, and the stadium should be ready by 2020. The Corona crisis and problems with the traffic concept caused the delay. During the conversion, Union then wants to play its home games in the Olympic Stadium, where city rivals Hertha BSC play.
The “Iron” have also announced record numbers for the 2021/2022 season and want to significantly increase sales in the current season. The Köpenicker achieved income of 122.137 million euros (2020/2021: 72.799) last season, as managing director Oskar Kosche explained. Profit after tax for the entire group, which also includes Stadion AG, was EUR 12.685 million (2020/2021: -11.953). This was partly due to the significant increase in viewer income after the end of the strict corona restrictions. In terms of sponsorship, marketing and TV money, the people from Köpenick increased even more because of their sporting success. In addition, there were significantly higher transfer proceeds.
In the current season, the Irons want to increase sales to 157.026 million euros. The group’s profit is said to be 20.491 million. In addition, for the first time in the club’s history, a positive equity capital of 4.165 million euros should be achieved. After the 2021/2022 season it was minus 16.326 million. The personnel costs for the professionals also increased, but according to Union they are still in the lower half of the Bundesliga: The expenses for the licensed player department amounted to 43 million euros in 2021/2022 and are expected to rise to 53 million this season. “We have to keep developing in sport, then we’ll be economically healthier,” said President Zingler. And the Köpenicker also increased significantly with another number: the club now has 48,364 members – and thus more than Hertha BSC with 44,211.
