The diet of a professional female footballer at Union

Gehrmann's path to Union: Family-friendliness meets product quality

Since September, Nico Gehrmann has been working as a chef at 1. FC Union Berlin. Previously, he was active in the fine dining sector, where he learned under star chef Tim Raue, among others. The switch to sports had two main reasons for him: "On the one hand, I was looking for more family-friendly working hours than in a restaurant, but at the same time, I wanted to continue working with high-quality products and make the best of them. Both are fully given at Union."

Although the transition from star cuisine to a football club was certainly a change, Gehrmann is completely satisfied: “From a chef's perspective, it's really exciting that I can prepare something new every day and don't have a fixed menu like in a restaurant. Also, I like the challenge that the food always has to be as protein-rich as possible.”

Special requirements in the training camp – The language of the kitchen

In the training camp, the organizational effort for Gehrmann is significantly greater than in everyday life in Berlin. He has to coordinate daily with the local kitchen crew, which is not always easy due to the language barrier. However, as Gehrmann reports, just like in football, there is also a language of its own in the kitchen, so one can communicate using gestures if necessary.

In the mornings, he checks the quality of the delivered products, pays attention to allergies and intolerances, and ensures that every player is optimally catered to. Unlike in Berlin, where usually only breakfast and lunch are offered, the full board has to be ensured in the training camp. Planning therefore began weeks in advance in collaboration with team manager Viktoria Tänzer and rehabilitation and athletic trainer Bao Nguyen.

The nutrition on match day – A look at tomorrow's Friendly

The match day also presents a special challenge for the chef, as the players burn noticeably more calories on this day. The so-called Pre-Match Meal, or the meal before the game, should therefore be nutrient-rich and invigorating, without filling the stomach too much – chicken and salmon are particularly favored. After the final whistle, however, the focus shifts to replenishing energy stores, for which Gehrmann tends to opt for heartier meals. And sometimes a dessert is allowed as a reward: “The Stracciatella quark, of course with dark chocolate that doesn’t stick too much, is very popular in the team.”

Nutrition should not be an issue for tomorrow's Friendly. At 15:30, the Eisernen will meet at the training ground in Oliva Nova with the Spanish fourth division team CD Castellón. The club from the Mediterranean coast finished the first half of the season in second place in the Tercera Federación, behind FC Valencia II. Coach Alberto Berman's team has remained unbeaten in all eleven league matches so far, dropping points only in two draws.

In addition to Celine Frank, Korina Janež, Mariann Noack, Tomke Schneider, and Melanie Wagner, who all did not travel with the training camp, Anna Aehling will also be unable to participate tomorrow. All other 22 players are ready to go and, according to head coach Ailien Poese, should appear as engaged as possible: “We want to take the opportunity to optimize some processes in the game with the ball, but also to act actively and aggressively in defense. Furthermore, it should serve as a chance for many options in different positions.”