Dirk Zingler remains Union President: 4 years for the future!

Dirk Zingler remains Union President: 4 years for the future!

Berlin, Deutschland - The President of the 1st FC Union Berlin, Dirk Zingler, remains in office for another four years and looks back on a successful time. Zingler has headed the club since 2004 and describes its first years as a struggle for existence to keep the club alive. Union Berlin has now developed into a club with two Bundesliga teams, which reflects the enjoyable development under his leadership. Zingler is particularly proud of the past 2024/25 season, in which the club has achieved all the goals set: 40 points and relegation for men and the rise for the women's team.

In the past six years, Union Berlin has established itself in the top 15 German clubs. Nevertheless, Zingler points out the challenges, in particular the inadequate capacity of the club stadium, which only has 3,000 seats. This recording of spectators is not competitive for the Bundesliga, and Zingler emphasizes the need for better training conditions for the professionals. The squad planning for the men's team, including the situation around striker Andrej Ilic, is a central topic that is discussed after the end of the season.

stadium expansion and women's football

A central concern for Zingler is the conversion of the stadium on the old forester's shop, which is supposed to represent the last step towards the “real growth” of the association. He announced that the preparations are on the home stretch, whereby the start of construction is already planned for 2023. Zingler explained that there are no more open questions about the projects, but he emphasized the need for an alternative venue during the construction work. The Olympic Stadium is mentioned as a possible option, since the capacity of the old forestry is only 10,000 to 12,000 spectators during the renovation work.

Union Berlin plans to integrate the women's team into the league as the first Berlin Bundesliga club after 15 years. Trainer Ailien Poese and Jennifer Zietz did an excellent job, and Zingler emphasizes the integration of women's football into the entire football ecosystem of the association. This decision will not only increase the visibility of the women's team, but also contribute to the general development of women's football.

strategies for promoting women's football

In the context of the almost flourishing women's football in Germany, the range on social media over the past seasons is an indicator of growth in this segment. For the 2021/2022 season, the women's Bundesliga has a range of 267 million and sets itself the goal of increasing it by 100 percent by 2027. A separate “product world women” was also developed to improve visibility and marketing.

Another important point is the implementation of highlight games that contribute to the development of viewers and marketing. The DFB has also developed strategies to increase attractiveness, including the optimization of media products and the increased cooperation with clubs that promote women's football. This commitment, together with the plans of the 1. FC Union, shows how serious it is to draw more attention to the female athletes.

The number of members at Union increases steadily, which underlines the need for a larger venue in order to meet the growing followers. Fans now see the Olympic Stadium as a place for bigger football festivals, and the anticipation for the upcoming challenges is noticeable.

Dirk Zingler and his team are working intensively to continue to position the 1. FC Union Berlin as an important player in both men and women's football, while they are working towards improving the club's infrastructure for the future.

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