User:Hammersfan/1. FC Union Berlin in European football

{{infobox continental football
| continent = Europe
| title = 1. FC Union Berlin in European football
| club = [[1. FC Union Berlin]]
| seasons played = 4
| most capped player = [[Rani Khedira]] (20)
| top scorer = [[Taiwo Awoniyi]] (4)
[[Robin Knoche]] (4)
| first entry = [[2001–02 UEFA Cup]]
| last entry = [[2023–24 UEFA Champions League]]
}}
[[1. FC Union Berlin]], commonly known as Union Berlin, is a German professional football club based in [[Berlin]]. The club has competed in UEFA competitions a total of four times in its history – first in the [[2001–02 UEFA Cup]], and then in three successive seasons between 2021–22 and 2023–24 in all three of UEFA's competitions, the [[UEFA Conference League|Conference League]], the [[UEFA Europa League|Europa League]] and the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]].
==History==
===1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup===
Although Union Berlin's first European campaign came in 2001–02, the club actually qualified for Europe for the first time in 1968 when, while playing in the [[DDR-Oberliga]], they won the [[FDGB-Pokal]], thus qualifying for the [[1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup]]. Initially drawn against [[FK Bor 1919|FK Bor]] of [[Yugoslavia]], the events of the [[Prague Spring]] in [[Czechoslovakia]] saw UEFA alter the draw to split clubs from Eastern and Western Europe. This led to Union Berlin being drawn against [[FC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] of the [[Soviet Union]]. But, anger at UEFA's handling of the situation led to several socialist countries, including [[East Germany]], withdrawing their sides from European competitions that season.{{cite web |last=Tejwani |first= Karan |date=11 August 2020 |title=Union Berlin in the 2001 UEFA Cup: the club that made their European bow before their Bundesliga one |url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2020/08/11/union-berlin-in-the-2001-uefa-cup-the-club-that-made-their-european-bow-before-their-bundesliga-one/ |website=These Football Times |location= |publisher= |access-date=26 April 2026}}
===2001–02 UEFA Cup===
Union Berlin's first European foray came as a result of their reaching the [[2001 DFB-Pokal final]]. Although Union lost the final 2–0 against [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke]], they gained a place in the [[2001–02 UEFA Cup|following season's UEFA Cup]] as a result of Schalke finishing second in the [[2000–01 Bundesliga|Bundesliga]], thus qualifying for the [[2001–02 UEFA Champions League|Champions League]].{{cite web |author= |date=30 July 2023 |title=2001: The most dramatic season finale in Bundesliga history |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/bayern-munich-schalke-most-dramatic-title-finish-2001-24146 |website=Bundesliga |location= |publisher= |access-date=26 April 2026}}{{cite web |author= |date= |title=DFB-Pokal - Spielinfo |url=https://www.kicker.de/union-gegen-schalke-2001-dfb-pokal-536939/spielinfo |website=Kicker |location= |publisher= |access-date=26 April 2026 |language=de}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Opposition
! Home
! Attendance
! Away
! Attendance
! Aggregate
|-
|rowspan=2|[[2001–02 UEFA Cup|2001–02]]
|rowspan=2|[[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]
|[[2001–02 UEFA Cup first round|First round]]
|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[FC Haka|Haka]]
|style="text-align:center;"|3–0
|style="text-align:center;"|12,111
|style="text-align:center;"|1–1
|style="text-align:center;"|1,720
|style="text-align:center;"|'''4–1'''
|-
|[[2001–02 UEFA Cup second round|Second round]]
|{{flagicon|BUL}} [[FC Lovech|Litex Lovech]]
|style="text-align:center;"|0–2
|style="text-align:center;"|11,255
|style="text-align:center;"|0–0
|style="text-align:center;"|3,250
|style="text-align:center;"|'''0–2'''
|}
===2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League===
Union Berlin were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2020. The club then finished seventh in its [[2020–21 Bundesliga|debut season]] to qualify for the inaugural season of the [[UEFA Conference League|UEFA Europa Conference League]]. This was the first time they had qualified for Europe by league position, thanks to last minute winner in a final day win over [[RB Leipzig]].{{cite web |author= |date=9 August 2021 |title=Union Berlin: 2021/22 season preview |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/union-berlin-2021-22-season-preview-europa-conference-league-16797 |website=Bundesliga |location= |publisher= |access-date=26 April 2026}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Opposition
! Home
! Attendance
! Away
! Attendance
! Aggregate
|-
|rowspan=4|[[2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League|2021–22]]
|rowspan=4|[[UEFA Conference League|UEFA Europa Conference League]]
|[[2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying (third and play-off round matches)|Play-off round]]
|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Kuopion Palloseura|KuPS]]
|style="text-align:center;"|0–0
|style="text-align:center;"|5,632
|style="text-align:center;"|4–0
|style="text-align:center;"|22,159
|style="text-align:center;"|'''4–0'''
|-
|rowspan=3|[[2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage|Group E]]
|{{flagicon|CZE}} [[SK Slavia Prague|Slavia Prague]]
|style="text-align:center;"|1–1
|style="text-align:center;"|4,380
|style="text-align:center;"|3–1
|style="text-align:center;"|15,286
|rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"|'''3rd'''
|-
|{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Maccabi Haifa F.C.|Maccabi Haifa]]
|style="text-align:center;"|3–0
|style="text-align:center;"|23,342
|style="text-align:center;"|1–0
|style="text-align:center;"|22,150
|-
|{{flagicon|NED}} [[Feyenoord]]
|style="text-align:center;"|1–2
|style="text-align:center;"|30,000
|style="text-align:center;"|1–3
|style="text-align:center;"|36,100
|}
===2022–23 UEFA Europa League===
Union Berlin continued progression in the Bundesliga by finishing fifth in [[2021–22 Bundesliga|2021–22]], which gave them a second successive European campaign, this time in the [[UEFA Europa League|Europa League]], the club's first time in the competition since its debut European campaign. This campaign was also the first that saw Union play their European home games at their own stadium, the [[Stadion An der Alten Försterei]].{{cite web |author= |date=10 August 2022 |title=Europa League in the Alte Försterei |url=https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/en/news/europa-league-in-the-alte-foersterei-eH6a7 |website=Union Berlin |location= |publisher= |access-date=26 April 2026}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Opposition
! Home
! Attendance
! Away
! Attendance
! Aggregate
|-
|rowspan=5|[[2022–23 UEFA Europa League|2022–23]]
|rowspan=5|[[UEFA Europa League]]
|rowspan=3|[[2022–23 UEFA Europa League group stage|Group D]]
|{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Royale Union Saint-Gilloise|Union Saint-Gilloise]]
|style="text-align:center;"|0–1
|style="text-align:center;"|21,512
|style="text-align:center;"|1–0
|style="text-align:center;"|5,597
|style="text-align:center;"|'''2nd'''
|-
|{{flagicon|POR}} [[S.C. Braga|Braga]]
|style="text-align:center;"|1–0
|style="text-align:center;"|21,082
|style="text-align:center;"|0–1
|style="text-align:center;"|17,782
|rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;"|'''3rd'''
|-
|{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Malmö FF]]
|style="text-align:center;"|
|style="text-align:center;"|
|style="text-align:center;"|
|style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|}



==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}