Union Berlin 2026/27 season preview: Can Mauro Lustrinelli guide the Irons to a top-half finish?
A new head coach, a new style of play, and new hope. Looking to play more attacking football under Mauro Lustrinelli in 2026/27, Union Berlin will be hoping the Swiss tactician can steer them back to a top-half finish for the first time since the 2022/23 campaign.
Union Berlin
2025/26 finish: 11th
Pre-season results: 12-2 win vs. Optik Rathenow, 16-0 win vs. Grün-Weiß Lübben, 1-1 draw vs. Chemnitz, 2-0 loss vs. Carl Zeiss Jena, 1-1 draw vs. Winterthur, 2-1 loss vs. Aarau, 2-1 loss vs. Dynamo Dresden, 2-2 draw vs. Cagliari, 3-2 win vs. Aris Limassol, 4-2 loss vs. Ipswich Town
First three fixtures: Eintracht Frankfurt (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a), Schalke (h)
What to expect?
Lustrinelli’s arrival on the touchline has turned the page on a new chapter at the Alte Försterei. After the responsibility was shared last season between Steffen Baumgart and interim boss Marie-Louise Eta, the 50-year-old arrives not only with a new, offensively oriented brand of football but off the back of a historic feat by leading promoted Thun to the Swiss Super League title - the first domestic championship in the club’s history - scoring 80 goals along the way. As such, the hope in Köpenick is that the 50-year-old will become the first coach to guide Union into the top half of the table since compatriot Urs Fischer.
Lustrinelli made it no secret he wants to play with – in his own words – “intensity, dynamism and energy going forward,” signalling a clear shift in Union’s style in recent years. However, given Die Eisernen managed just one win in pre-season, this process is expected to take time. Club President Dirk Zingler recognises this, however, explaining: “We’re prepared for things to be a bit bumpy at the start.”
Whilst there may be some teething problems to begin with, Union’s resolve could not be faulted in their competitive opener in the DFB Cup first round away to Eintracht Braunschweig, where twice they came from behind to claim a 4-2 victory.
Key new signing: Emmanuel Latte Lath
In recent years, one of Union’s biggest drawbacks has been their (in)ability to regularly create chances from open play, leading the Iron Ones to often rely on set pieces.
However, a new figure of hope for a new and improved goal threat is Latte Lath. The 27‑year‑old Ivorian joins on loan from Atlanta United and is expected to inject pace, depth and finishing power into Union’s attack.
Although things hadn’t fallen into place for the forward in the MLS since arriving in early 2025, Latte Lath had already shown he knows where the goal is at previous side Middlesbrough, for whom he scored 27 goals in 59 English Championship outings.
See all Union’s summer comings and goings here
Key player: Rani Khedira
Given that Union are looking to transition towards a new brand of football, they will need an already-established anchor who understands fully the values and landscape at the club. That anchor is Khedira. The midfielder embodies stability, experience and leadership for Die Eisernen, and at the same time is expected to play a central role in the new high-pressing and possession-centric approach.
The reason for this is that Khedira is far more than just the shield in front of the back line. As one of Union’s most consistent performers last term, the 32-year-old Tunisia international will likely shoulder the burden of keeping the distances between the team’s lines in check, instigating the press, and being the first player to look to play forward after winning the ball.
Check out Union’s new jerseys for 2026/27
Talking point
Whilst much of the focus ahead of their Bundesliga campaign has been on how they will perform going forward, question marks remain over their defensive capabilities after what has also been a summer of big changes at the back for Union. In Danilho Doekhi (Lazio) and Diogo Leite (out of contract), the Berliners have lost two long-serving centre‑backs, who each respectively racked up 137 and 136 total competitive appearances during their time at the club.
Their replacements have come in the forms of Stanley Nsoki, who has now been signed permanently from Hoffenheim, returning defender Marvin Friedrich from Borussia Mönchengladbach, and young Belgian Zeno van den Bosch from Royal Antwerp. What’s more, as part of Lustrinelli’s new system, Union have consistently opted to deploy a back four instead of a back five in pre-season, signifying a systemic shift for the first time since top-flight promotion in 2019.
Follow Union’s Bundesliga opener against Frankfurt here!
