Union Berlin tactical preview: Lustrinelli meets quiet transfer window

We’ll kick off our Get German Football News series with a Bundesliga tactical preview of FC Union Berlin, the club that led the pack last season, now under newly‑appointed coach Mauro Lustrinelli and confronting a remarkably quiet summer transfer window.

Transfer activity and financial balance

Union’s estimated summer transfer balance sits at –€400,000. The club saw the free departures of centre‑backs Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite, as well as the permanent exit of Czech midfielder Alex Kral after 20 appearances last year. Striker Chris Bedia and midfielder Laszlo Benes, both on loan last season, also left.

Incoming players include Zeno van den Bosch as a solid defensive addition, the €1.5 million purchase of Stanley Nsoki from Hoffenheim, and the free signing of Marvin Friedrich after a disappointing spell at Gladbach. Union also secured a loan for MLS striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, aiming to bolster the attack.

Pre‑season friendlies and tactical experiments

Early camp featured matches against amateur Brandenburg sides Optik Rathenow and Grün‑Weiß Lübben before stepping up to Chemnitzer FC and Carl Zeiss Jena. Lustrinelli tried a wide rhombus, a tighter “castle storm”, a rigid spine and finally a double‑pivot, even deploying a 4‑2‑2‑2 formation for the first half of the Chemnitzer test.

These fixtures highlighted gaps in the squad, especially the need for wingers and strikers, and underscored lingering uncertainty in midfield amid rumours surrounding team leader Rani Khedira’s possible departure.

Robert Andrich has expressed frustration at the lack of contact from the club, while the return of Marvin Friedrich failed to attract the disaffected Leverkusen captain, a missed opportunity to solve two personnel issues at once.

“eher in Steine als Beine.” – a phrase coined by to describe Union’s philosophy this summer, loosely translated as “stones before bones,” reflects the club’s priority on stadium and infrastructure upgrades over immediate squad reinforcement.

Despite the transfer quietude, the weak nature of the two promoted Bundesliga sides likely keeps Union above the relegation battle, though the author notes a tentative alarm about the team’s stagnation.

As the Bundesliga 2026/27 season approaches, Lustrinelli must address midfield depth, add attacking options and translate the club’s infrastructural ambitions into more exciting, modern football.