BERLIN — Union Berlin has parted ways with head coach Bo Svensson and his coaching staff after enduring a disappointing streak of nine games without a victory across all competitions.
The Bundesliga team announced on Friday that they will select a new head coach to take over on January 2 in the forthcoming days.
Union’s form has been troubling, as they were eliminated from the German Cup and have not celebrated a win since their match against promoted side Holstein Kiel in October. Under Svensson’s leadership, the team has failed to secure a victory in their last eight Bundesliga matches. Despite a promising start to his tenure over the summer, there was a noticeable lack of progression during his time with the club.
“We are convinced that a significant change is necessary to reverse the trend,” stated Union’s sporting director, Horst Heldt. “As a result, we have decided to end our collaboration with Bo Svensson, along with his assistants Babak Keyhanfar, Kristoffer Wichmann, and Tijan Njie.”
Svensson’s final match at the helm ended in a heavy 4-1 defeat to Werder Bremen on December 21.
The club has struggled with its coaching choices since the departure of fan-favorite Urs Fischer last season. Fischer notably guided Union to their first Bundesliga promotion in 2019, followed by consistent improvements each season that culminated in a Champions League qualification in 2023.
However, that success appears to have destabilized the team as Heldt sought to bolster it by hiring veteran stars like Leonardo Bonucci and Robin Gosens to meet the heightened demands of European competition. Both players, however, have since departed from the club.
Fischer was let go following a streak of 14 games without a win, leading to Marco Grote taking on an interim role. He was succeeded by Croatian coach Nenad Bjelica, whose tenure proved unsuccessful, ultimately ending with his dismissal after a loss to relegation competitor Bochum left Union just above the relegation zone. Grote returned and managed to secure the club’s safety on the season’s last day.
Svensson, who was hired shortly after last season concluded, was expected to instill resilience and recover the fighting spirit that characterized Union’s earlier success under Fischer. However, he was unable to achieve this goal.
The team is set to face Heidenheim on January 11 following the winter break, before welcoming Augsburg to their home ground. Both of these opponents currently occupy positions below Union, who sit in 12th place in the league standings.
