Latest news with #Köpenick-based


San Francisco Chronicle
7 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Union Berlin forward Benedict Hollerbach is switching to Bundesliga rival Mainz
BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin is losing its main attacking threat for next season after selling Benedict Hollerbach to Bundesliga rival Mainz. Hollerbach is leaving after playing 65 competitive games for Union, the Köpenick-based team said Sunday. Kicker magazine reported that Mainz was playing a fee of 10 million euros ($11.4 million) for the 23-year-old forward. Hollerbach was getting a four-year contract, Mainz said, to become the club's second signing of the offseason after young Austrian defender Konstantin Schopp joined from Sturm Graz the day before. Hollerbach scored 14 goals in 62 league games for Union, with nine of them coming last season to help the team stay in the Bundesliga for another year. The team's top scorer also set up four goals for teammates who mostly struggled to create openings without him on the field. 'Benedict continuously developed during his time with us and always gave his all for the club,' Union sporting director Horst Heldt said. Hollerbach joined Stuttgart in 2019 after five years with Bayern Munich, then joined third-division Wehen Wiesbaden, helping it to promotion in 2023. Union was reportedly on the verge of reinvesting some of the transfer fee to make Serbian forward Andrej Ilić's loan move from Lille permanent – Ilić scored seven goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances for Union last season – and hoping to conclude 20-year-old forward Ilyas Ansah's signing from second-division Paderborn next week. ___


Fox Sports
7 days ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
Union Berlin forward Benedict Hollerbach is switching to Bundesliga rival Mainz
Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin is losing its main attacking threat for next season after selling Benedict Hollerbach to Bundesliga rival Mainz. Hollerbach is leaving after playing 65 competitive games for Union, the Köpenick-based team said Sunday. Kicker magazine reported that Mainz was playing a fee of 10 million euros ($11.4 million) for the 23-year-old forward. Hollerbach was getting a four-year contract, Mainz said, to become the club's second signing of the offseason after young Austrian defender Konstantin Schopp joined from Sturm Graz the day before. Hollerbach scored 14 goals in 62 league games for Union, with nine of them coming last season to help the team stay in the Bundesliga for another year. The team's top scorer also set up four goals for teammates who mostly struggled to create openings without him on the field. 'Benedict continuously developed during his time with us and always gave his all for the club,' Union sporting director Horst Heldt said. Hollerbach joined Stuttgart in 2019 after five years with Bayern Munich, then joined third-division Wehen Wiesbaden, helping it to promotion in 2023. Union was reportedly on the verge of reinvesting some of the transfer fee to make Serbian forward Andrej Ilic's loan move from Lille permanent – Ilić scored seven goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances for Union last season – and hoping to conclude 20-year-old forward Ilyas Ansah's signing from second-division Paderborn next week. ___ AP soccer:


Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Union Berlin forward Benedict Hollerbach is switching to Bundesliga rival Mainz
BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin is losing its main attacking threat for next season after selling Benedict Hollerbach to Bundesliga rival Mainz. Hollerbach is leaving after playing 65 competitive games for Union, the Köpenick-based team said Sunday. Kicker magazine reported that Mainz was playing a fee of 10 million euros ($11.4 million) for the 23-year-old forward. Hollerbach was getting a four-year contract, Mainz said, to become the club's second signing of the offseason after young Austrian defender Konstantin Schopp joined from Sturm Graz the day before. Hollerbach scored 14 goals in 62 league games for Union, with nine of them coming last season to help the team stay in the Bundesliga for another year. The team's top scorer also set up four goals for teammates who mostly struggled to create openings without him on the field. 'Benedict continuously developed during his time with us and always gave his all for the club,' Union sporting director Horst Heldt said. Hollerbach joined Stuttgart in 2019 after five years with Bayern Munich, then joined third-division Wehen Wiesbaden, helping it to promotion in 2023. Union was reportedly on the verge of reinvesting some of the transfer fee to make Serbian forward Andrej Ilić's loan move from Lille permanent – Ilić scored seven goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances for Union last season – and hoping to conclude 20-year-old forward Ilyas Ansah's signing from second-division Paderborn next week. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP soccer:


Hamilton Spectator
26-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Union Berlin president accuses Bundesliga rivals of not paying their women's teams enough
BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin president Dirk Zingler has criticized Bundesliga rivals of apathy toward women's soccer. 'Every football club that has a professional team is capable of paying its women's football team appropriately,' Zingler said on Monday in comments reported by dpa news agency. 'When I see and hear that, even in the (women's) Bundesliga with 12 teams, there are only four or five who pay the women professionally, it's a pitiful disgrace in Germany,' Zingler added on the day it was confirmed he will stay on for another term as president to 2029. Union's own women's team was promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time this season after winning the second division. The Köpenick-based club has invested heavily in women's soccer, particularly since its men's team clinched promotion to the 18-team Bundesliga in 2019. Zingler also criticized the media for not giving more attention to women's games. He said it was 'simply not right to treat women's football as a disability sport and say we have to run special programs and play highlight games.' Zingler has been Union's president since 2004, when the men's team was playing at fourth-tier level. He said stability has been key to the club's success. Union's men reached the Europa Conference League in 2021, the Europa League the following season, and the Champions League in 2023, though that was followed by a brush with relegation. This season, the team clinched Bundesliga survival with four rounds to spare. Away from the field, Union refurbished its stadium in 2009, added a new main stand in 2013, and established a new training center for youth players last year. This year it plans to start construction on new training facilities for its men's and women's professional teams then turn attention to more stadium development to accommodate more fans. ___ AP soccer:


San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Union Berlin president accuses Bundesliga rivals of not paying their women's teams enough
BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin president Dirk Zingler has criticized Bundesliga rivals of apathy toward women's soccer. 'Every football club that has a professional team is capable of paying its women's football team appropriately,' Zingler said on Monday in comments reported by dpa news agency. 'When I see and hear that, even in the (women's) Bundesliga with 12 teams, there are only four or five who pay the women professionally, it's a pitiful disgrace in Germany,' Zingler added on the day it was confirmed he will stay on for another term as president to 2029. Union's own women's team was promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time this season after winning the second division. The Köpenick-based club has invested heavily in women's soccer, particularly since its men's team clinched promotion to the 18-team Bundesliga in 2019. Zingler also criticized the media for not giving more attention to women's games. He said it was 'simply not right to treat women's football as a disability sport and say we have to run special programs and play highlight games.' Zingler has been Union's president since 2004, when the men's team was playing at fourth-tier level. He said stability has been key to the club's success. Union's men reached the Europa Conference League in 2021, the Europa League the following season, and the Champions League in 2023, though that was followed by a brush with relegation. This season, the team clinched Bundesliga survival with four rounds to spare. Away from the field, Union refurbished its stadium in 2009, added a new main stand in 2013, and established a new training center for youth players last year. This year it plans to start construction on new training facilities for its men's and women's professional teams then turn attention to more stadium development to accommodate more fans. ___