Union Berlin as Leicester? Not quite. The story of the German side is much more fairytale-like. Can they really win the Bundesliga?

Bundesliga as a league about nothing? No way. And the current season is a great proof of that. One would expect Bayern Munich to be in first place after ten rounds, but this is not the case. Union Berlin, who lead the league, are having a fantastic start to the season. Can they win? What makes it special?

Union Berlin amazes the world and rules the Bundesliga

Anyone looking at the Bundesliga table now will be surprised. After ten rounds, it is Union Berlin, not Bayern Munich, that is in first place. Seven wins, two draws, one loss. The best defence in the competition and fantastic fans for support.

Of course, we’re not even halfway through the competition, but Union have already beaten Leipzig, Cologne and Dortmund, drawn with Bayern and only lost to Frankfurt. So they have played strong teams and have not lost.

Of course, we can talk about Bayern’s bad start to the season, and so have Dortmund and Leverkusen. Leicester had the same in their title season. The favourites were losing, the Foxes kept picking up points. But that’s probably the only parallel that fits.

Union as Leicester? No, there are many differences

Union are now starting to be referred to as the German Leicester, only it doesn’t quite fit. The English team was owned by a rich owner, it was really more of a one-off success and quite a bit of a “coincidence”.

The history of the Berlin outfit is much more colourful, varied, unstable and modest. So are its circumstances. It is more or less a working-class club. Its budget is one of the smallest in German football. Together with the fans, they form a unique and special community.

Union has faced its end several times in the club’s history. Moreover, its rise has a great political context. Not only because it is a team from East Berlin. Although this factor often plays a major role in the media in terms of interest.

Compared to Leicester, who moreover won the title after a season in which they were almost relegated, Union are adorned with systemic and conceptual work. It’s not as if a miracle happened after a disastrous season. The Berlin club’s rise is due to a very hard and honest ‘robot’.

To make matters worse, the club has faced possible extinction several times. And the fans who breathe for the Union have always done their utmost to prevent this from happening. For example, they donated blood to raise money for the club. When the stadium needed to be renovated, more than two thousand of them worked a total of over 140,000 hours.

What’s behind the rise? One name

As already mentioned, Union’s current status is no accident. On the contrary. And one man in particular is behind it. Coach Urs Fischer. The 56-year-old Swiss has instilled the team with a clear game face and character. It more or less doesn’t matter what players he gets. He can get the best out of them.

It’s no coincidence that Berlin has the best defence in the league. No club is better organised defensively than Die Eisernen. Great pressing and pressure on the players with the ball, perfect covering of the space, everybody helps each other. One for all, all for one, you could say.

No need for Union to have a star in the squad. His great strength is that he can unite even a seemingly disparate group of players. “He shows the players a video where it is explained exactly what is expected and wanted of them. Then all they have to do is make adjustments to their game. If they don’t comply, they leave,” Sky Sports quotes journalist Christoph Biermann as saying.

Although Fischer had never coached or played outside of Switzerland before working for the Union, he is an elite coach. He can make the most out of the minimum and the mentality around Union Berlin helps this as much as possible.

Can Union win the Bundesliga?

This is a question that begs to be asked, but the answer is not at all simple. At the moment, Union Berlin have everything in their hands. There is a huge euphoria in the club, the fans are practically celebrating now that the chance exists.

If Union continue to pick up points and take advantage of their opponents’ hesitations, the chance is definitely there. A lot will depend on how their current form is marked by the upcoming World Cup, which could have a significant say in the affairs of all league competitions.

Moreover, it will be important for Fischer to have as few players injured as possible. It depends on many factors. But why not? Anything is possible in football. It would help not only the Union, but the Bundesliga and football as a whole.

Source: Union Berlin, Bundesliga, DW.com, SkySports