Union Berlin will play at Hertha BSC's Olympiastadion for a year and a half starting in January 2028, but the club's ultras will not be allowed access to the iconic Ostkurve stand. General manager Timo Rohwedder confirmed the arrangement, referencing the precedent set during their Champions League campaign in 2023.
"There is agreement on the Ostkurve: as with the Champions League games, the ultras will not be in the Ostkurve, back then they were on the opposite stand," said Rohwedder. The temporary move is necessary while the new Alte Försterei stadium is built for 190 million euros. The planned return to their own ground is for the 2029/30 season.
Hertha's managing director Dr. Peter Görlich stressed the stadium's public nature. "It is a public stadium. And it is a transitional phase," said the 59-year-old. He acknowledged that the shared use brings logistical challenges, including staff deployment, cabin usage, and switching colour schemes from blue to red. Görlich stated it would be better if his club had the venue entirely to themselves.
The Ostkurve will only be opened for Union matches upon demand. The club previously played three Champions League home games at the Olympiastadion in autumn 2023 against Real Madrid, Napoli and Braga, gaining experience with the logistics.
The relocation comes during a tough spell on the pitch. Union sit 17th in the Bundesliga with just one point from four games and have lost their last three matches heavily, including a 7-0 defeat at Bayern Munich. The next challenge is a home match against seventh-placed SV Elversberg on October 10th, a game Union desperately needs to change their momentum. The current league standings and precise position are available in our standings section.
Timo Skarke is the team's top scorer this season with two goals. The squad must now use the coming weeks to find stability on the pitch before the major stadium move in 2028.
The report in full is at Bild Sport
