Men's Team Head South
Swiss Double-Header Ahead
There are more friendlies on the horizon for the men's first team of 1. FC Union Berlin as they head into the third week of their pre-season. In contrast to their recent forays into Brandenburg, however, this weekend sees them play 845 and 914 km away from home.
On Friday, 17 July, Unionwill face FC Winterthur at the Stadion Schützenwiese (19:00) before their appearance at the Stadion Brügglifeld to play FC Aarau (16:00).
The Opponents
The football club Winterthur, founded in 1896, can look back on three Swiss championship titles and five participations in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. After promotion in 2021, however, the club have had to face relegation to the second-tier Challenge League following a last-place finish. The North Swiss team have been playing their home games at the Stadion Schützenwiese, since the turn of the 20th Century. The 8,700 capacity stadium is lovingly referred to as “Schützi” by their fans. Despite the relegation, discussions about a possible stadium expansion are ongoing in the background.
On Saturday, the football club Aarau await. Founded in 1902, they have three championship titles and one cup victory so far. For a long time, Aarau were considered relegation-proof until financial ruin and subsequent insolvency in 2002 could only be averted by going public. They finished second in the Challenge League on the last day of last season, thus qualifying for the promotion play-off to the Super League. However, FC Aarau lost in the second leg after extra time 1-2 against Grasshoppers Club. Therefore, Aarau will remain in the second-highest Swiss league in the upcoming season.
The views ahead of the matches
“As in the previous matches, we want to work on the team finding itself more and more and each individual gaining more important minutes on the pitch. For many in the coaching team, playing in Switzerland is certainly something special. Ultimately, however, the team and their development are the focus,” said head coach Mauro Lustrinelli.
Service information
The match on Friday against FC Winterthur will take place at Stadion Schützenwiese. The gates of the will open at 17:30, with the kick-off at 19:00. On Saturday, fans and spectators can enter Stadion Brügglifeld from 15:00, with the start at 16:00.
Further information about visiting the stadiums can be found here. Tickets for the two friendlies are available in the online shop of the opposing teams (FC Winterthur / FC Aarau).
Union will provide updates in German on both matches via the club’s own live ticker. The games will be streamed live on AFTV+.
