🤔 Manager too stubborn? Bundesliga club losing its biggest asset | OneFootball

Union Berlin established itself at lightning speed in the top tier after its promotion in 2019, thanks to rock-solid defensive football, and qualified for Europe three times. Hardly any German team worked better against the ball during this period. Stability and compactness were emphasized so much at the Alte Försterei that you could almost see them all the way in Berlin's Westend.

Even when the Köpenick side slipped into a real relegation battle for the first time in the past two seasons, they could always rely on their own defense. While the offense was among the league’s most harmless, the backline repeatedly secured crucial points for the capital club.

However, by September 2025, little of that remains. In three games, Union conceded a whopping eight goals and suddenly has the worst defense in the league.

The Reasons for the Defensive Misery

But why has Frederik Rønnow had to pick the ball out of his net more often in the past few weeks than he did over several months during Urs Fischer’s tenure?

One reason is Leopold Querfeld: The Austrian developed into one of the most exciting defensive talents in the Bundesliga last season and was expected to take the step up to defensive leader this summer. However, this development did not materialize, and the 21-year-old has recently made several mistakes.

Without Diogo Leite by his side, Querfeld is suddenly completely out of his depth. The Portuguese player was desperate to leave the club in the summer, but the transfer fell through. Because Leite was afraid of getting injured, he trained individually for several weeks and is now behind in training. He has yet to make a competitive appearance.

But the 26-year-old may be needed sooner than expected. Due to Tom Rothe’s red card suspension, coach Steffen Baumgart is likely to put his wantaway protégé in the starting lineup against Eintracht Frankfurt: “If he regains the fitness he lost in recent weeks, he’ll be a very good alternative very quickly,” he told 'BZ' about Leite.

However, whether he will regain a regular starting spot remains questionable. During his time at 1. FC Köln, Baumgart was already in a similar situation and did not play a professional with an expiring contract and concrete thoughts of leaving, despite the sporting need: We’re talking about offensive jewel Justin Diehl, now at VfB Stuttgart, who certainly would have helped Köln in their bleak relegation season of 2023/2024.

Has the Rothe Experiment Already Failed?

But so be it. Mistakes are, after all, there to learn from. Which brings us to another reason for Union’s sudden defensive vulnerability: During preseason, Baumgart surprisingly decided to retrain left-back Tom Rothe as a left center-back.

Although, actually, Baumgart didn’t make that decision himself. The idea came more from his coaching staff. “That wasn’t my idea at all,” the 53-year-old admitted to 'BZ', adding: “But I like to try things before I say no.”

So far, though, the experiment has not been successful. After a 2-1 opening win against VfB Stuttgart, the Iron Ones were powerless against BVB and TSG Hoffenheim, conceding a hefty seven goals in the process.

📸 Maja Hitij - 2025 Getty Images

Of course, it would be too simplistic to blame this outcome solely on Rothe’s unfamiliar position. Still, it is clear that the 20-year-old feels anything but comfortable in his new role. On several occasions, Rothe—who has won less than 40 percent of his ground duels so far—has looked poor when conceding goals. And to make matters worse, he was also sent off with a red card against Hoffenheim. So is it already time to end the center-back experiment?

Or was it ever the right time to start this experiment at all? Looking at the Schleswig-Holstein native’s professional career so far, it’s immediately clear that his strengths lie in attack. Rothe is extremely dynamic and also shines as a crosser and provider. Duel strength and build-up play are among his major weaknesses.

The youngster himself doesn’t see it any differently. “I need to work on my defensive game,” he said in the summer after his position change. “I’m trying to embrace it and make the best of it.” But that doesn’t exactly sound enthusiastic.

“Back to the Roots” for More Stability?

An immediate abandonment of the center-back experiment seems unlikely, however. The club signed Derrick Köhn for a solid four million euros—a player with a similar profile to Rothe, who also plays in Rothe’s usual wingback position. Robert Skov is another player working the left flank.

But is this really doing the club any favors at the Alte Försterei? Wouldn’t it have been smarter to gradually introduce Rothe to his new duties? Especially since the last two seasons and the disastrous preseason quickly suggested that this year would again be all about avoiding relegation.

📸 Christof Koepsel - 2025 Getty Images

For now, one thing is certain: FCU has lost its greatest strength and at the same time “sacrificed” one of its most important offensive weapons. If they don’t want to sink knee-deep into the relegation battle in Berlin’s east, a return to defensive stability is urgently needed.

Can Baumgart, who is known for being quite stubborn, swallow his pride and at least temporarily scrap the changes he initiated? With Leite, he at least has one of the best Bundesliga center-backs of recent years at his disposal. And even the visibly unsettled Tom Rothe would probably thank him for it.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Maja Hitij - 2025 Getty Images