Union Berlin go into their new season with a clear shift in tone. Mauro Lustrinelli wants “intensity, dynamism and energy going forward”, and club president Dirk Zingler has already warned that supporters may need patience: “We’re prepared for things to be a bit bumpy at the start.”
The reset at Union Berlin
Union finished 11th in the 2025/26 Bundesliga and collected 39 points from 34 matches, with 44 league goals. That is the baseline Lustrinelli is working from, and it is why the brief points so firmly at a more aggressive version of Union rather than another cautious one.
His record at FC Thun explains why the club have backed him. He led promoted Thun to the Swiss Super League title, the first domestic championship in the club’s history, and they scored 80 goals along the way. That is a different level of attacking output from last season’s Union side, and it fits the job description here.
A tougher start than the mood suggests
Union’s first three league fixtures are Eintracht Frankfurt at home, Bayer Leverkusen away and Schalke at home. That is a demanding opening stretch for a team trying to change its habits at the same time as it raises its intensity.
The signs from pre-season also point to a structural change. Union have consistently used a back four rather than a back five, and the shift has arrived alongside defensive turnover. Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite have both gone after 137 and 136 total competitive appearances respectively.
There are reasons to think the attack can look livelier, too. Union’s 4-2 DFB Pokal win away at Eintracht Braunschweig already showed a side that can find goals under pressure, even if it had to come from behind twice to do it. That is a better early indicator than any glossy preview line.
The club’s own message is the sensible one. Union are trying to replace a low-risk identity with something more front-footed, but Zingler has set the expectation that the first few weeks may be uneven. The real test comes immediately, with Frankfurt, Leverkusen and Schalke all on the schedule before the season has properly settled.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
