Charming strength in defence – a “até logo” for Diogo Leite

The Portuguese has 135 matches under his belt so far, with Augsburg hopefully adding one more to that tally as he makes his last appearance. The left-footed centre-back scored two goals and made four assists in his four seasons in Köpenick, and was a vital part of the team that caused such a stir in the UEFA Europa League and qualified for the Champions League in the same year. With varying partners in the backline, the 27-year-old has also been an important building block in the last three year’s Bundesliga survival.

Centre-back with a knack for goals – Danilho Doekhi leaves for pastures new

Danilho Doekhi has been at least as significant as his partner at the back over the last few years. And the towering Netherlands-born right-footer made not only a great impact at the back, but also contributed a remarkable 16 goals and three assists in 135 competitive matches for Union so far. How important “Doeks” was for the team is also reflected in the fact that the 27-year-old has played every single minute of every single game since 28.01.2024. But as the vice-captain's understudy, and valued member of the team council, Doekhi was just as valuable off the pitch.

Trusty midfield utility man – Alex Král's time at Union is coming to an end

Alex Král's distinctive strides through midfield will be notably missing for the Union fans next season. Král, who joined Union on loan in the summer of 2023 and was later signed permanently, wore the Union jersey 53 times, with a one-year break at espanyol in the middle. He made the most of his moments on the very biggest stages, however. He followed an assist against Braga in the UEFA Champions League, with his only goal for Union... against Real Madrid.

Goalkeeper, coach and simply "Gspurti" – Michael Gspurning moves on

Michael Gspurning signed his first contract with 1. FC Union Berlin on 03 August 2016, almost ten years ago. And though he never played a competitive match for the first team, he still leaves a deep mark. Since December 2017, the Austrian has been responsible for all Union's stoppers as goalkeeping coach, and has played a significant role in many successes over his 337 matches at Union.

Helpers with Healing Hands – Silvio Thieme Says Goodbye

As a physiotherapist in the "team behind the team", Silvio Thieme was always responsible for the players' mobility, strength, and coordination during the past four seasons. With a permanent positive attitude, he supported the players in their rehabilitation from injuries, worked out innumerable muscle problems, and was always on-hand when his help was needed.

The gratitude and honour deserved for all five for their their time and achievements at the club will be shown on Saturday on the Alte Försterei pitch at 15:10, before kick off in the final game of the season.