A licensable press photo from Reuters shows Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac ahead of the Bundesliga match against 1. FC Union Berlin. The image was taken on August 31, 2025, at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, as reported by the news outlet www.reutersconnect.com.
Photographer Thilo Schmuelgen captured the Dortmund head coach in the moments before kickoff. The picture carries the identifier UP1EL8V17WS87 and was published under the slug SOCCER-GERMANY-BVB-FCU. It has a resolution of 2502 by 1806 pixels. Reuters made the photo available on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at 11:48 AM EDT.
What does the Reuters photo show?
The image shows Niko Kovac in a calm moment before the match. The coach appears focused as he watches the activity on the pitch. The shot offers an intimate look behind the scenes of a major Bundesliga fixture. It is one of several photos Reuters offered from this matchday. Additional shots from the same fixture were published at 11:43 AM, 12:06 PM, and 12:26 PM.
What context does the current season provide?
For Union Berlin, the 2025 season concluded with an 11th-place finish in the Bundesliga table. The team gathered 32 points from 29 games, with eight wins, eight draws, and 13 losses. The goal tally stood at 33 scored and 50 conceded, resulting in a difference of minus 17. In the final standings, Union trailed champions Bayern Munich by 44 points. The club's current injury list is lengthy and includes key players. Robert Skov, Aljoscha Kemlein, Livan Burcu, Frederik Ronnow, Lucas Tousart, and Diogo Leite are currently sidelined. The current squad status can be viewed on our injuries page.
What other images are linked to the match?
The Reuters portfolio links to related content that expands the context of the football action. This includes an image of a future Bundesliga match between Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund, dated for January 24, 2026. Also linked are pictures from other competitions involving Borussia Dortmund. One photo shows a FIFA Club World Cup match between Fluminense and Dortmund from June 17, 2025. Two images are from UEFA Champions League matches of Atalanta BC against Dortmund on February 24, 2026. Another linked picture documents a Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Dortmund from March 15, 2025.
What does this mean for Union's upcoming tasks?
The next major challenge for Union Berlin is the home match against RB Leipzig on November 21, 2026. Leipzig currently occupies fourth place in the table. To prepare for such games, the club must compensate for the many absences. The team will need to rely on players from the depth of the squad, whose composition can be traced on our squad page. The remaining time until the next league match will be used for recovery and tactical preparation. The complete schedule is available on our fixtures page. The current table situation and further statistics can be followed on the standings and stats pages.
