A homegrown talent continues on course

Markgraf has gone through all of Union's youth teams since 2016, developing into one of the most consistent defensive players of his age group. He played over 50 competitive matches for the U-19s, also featuring in the UEFA Youth League, where he faced Real Madrid, Napoli, and Braga.

His impact on the left-hand-side, his bold attacking play, and his defensive stability earned him a professional contract in the summer of 2025. Since then, the left-footer has regularly trained with the first team and gained valuable experience in the firt team's training sessions.

The reactions to the Extension

“Union has been my home for many years. I am proud to continue on this path and honoured to repay the trust of the club. My goal is to develop further every day and to make myself available to take on more responsibility in the first team,” said Markgraf on his extension.

Horst Heldt, Union's director of men's professional football, added to this, saying: “Andrik has steadily improved over the past years and shown that he has the potential to establish himself among the professionals. Even after his extended absence in the 2025/26 season, he worked his way back and proved again how focused he is. We want to continue to provide him with an environment in which he can grow and take the next step.”