1. FC Union Berlin is growing and planning its new stadium

The highest turnover in the club’s history, a record profit and increasing membership numbers: 1. FC Union Berlin is growing and planning its new stadium. As President Dirk Zingler announced at the general meeting on Monday evening, Union exercised the right of first refusal laid down in the heritable building lease agreement with the state of Berlin and acquired the stadium property. For the first time in the history of the club, the club premises belong to Union.

“We can speak with full conviction of a generational project that will have a lasting impact on the Union and raise its infrastructure to a new level. The planning is progressing well, so we are currently assuming that construction on the buildings around the stadium will start in the coming year,” said Zingler.

The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin in the spring. The subsequent conversion of the stadium at the Alte Försterei to 37,500 seats necessitated the move to the Olympic Stadium in the 2024/25 season.

In the 2021/22 season, the Union group recorded revenues of 122.137 million euros – an increase of 49.3 million euros compared to the previous season. 12.685 million remained as profit. Negative equity was reduced by 12.763 million, liabilities decreased by 10.025 million. Union is planning further growth for the current season, the income should increase to 157 million euros, the club calculates a surplus of 20 million euros.

The basis for the economic upturn is sporting success, said Zingler in front of 1472 members in the Berlin Tempodrom. “Despite difficult circumstances caused by the pandemic, we have managed to reach a new plateau economically and catch up with the competition,” he said. 48,364 members belong to the association.

Union had reached the Conference League and the semi-finals in the DFB Cup last season and qualified for the Europa League in the Bundesliga. This season, the club continues to climb in terms of sport. “We never understood the triple burden as such, but approached the three competitions with pride and joy,” said Zingler.