Deadline Day causes anger in Berlin over Gosens deal: “Almost tears in the eyes”

Rani Khedira did not want to hide his immense anger despite the 1-0 home victory against FC St. Pauli. “I have to be honest: It’s a catastrophe,” said the captain of 1. FC Union Berlin on DAZN. “Smart people should think about the fact that we are football players, but we are also human beings.” He had previously been asked how the team had reacted to the short-term departure of national player Robin Gosens.

The defender moved on loan to AC Florence in the Italian Serie A, as the Berlin team announced after the game. The process of the transfer was particularly confusing. While coach Bo Svensson was preparing the team for the duel against FC St. Pauli, Gosens went to the medical equipment to check his fitness – with success. After just one season, the record signing and top scorer of the last season is already gone again, at least for now. A “very, very strange day,” summed up Svensson.

Union Berlin with Tom Rothe as successor

The 30-year-old Gosens stood there “almost with tears in his eyes” and was “completely distraught,” Khedira said. “At lunch it was clear that he was staying with us, that he was playing.” And then two hours later, after his afternoon nap, the news came that it was going to work out after all,” he explained the back and forth on Friday. “I find it strange if you have to deal with that on match day.”

Gosens moved to Tuscany purely for personal reasons, as Union managing director Horst Heldt said after the game. “He always told us that he wanted to move if he had the opportunity,” said Heldt, who had received several inquiries for Gosens, who spent the best part of his career at Atalanta Bergamo and Inter Milan: “And then it doesn’t make sense to keep a player who isn’t really into it.” As usual, Union has not disclosed the exact terms of the transfer.

Even though the move came as a surprise on the last day of the transfer window, Union has already taken precautions by signing Tom Rothe from Borussia Dortmund II. The 19-year-old immediately took the position of the national player. “He struggled in the first half hour,” said coach Svensson about Rothe’s first Union home game, but also pointed out the opportunity. “He can only sort himself out three and a half hours before the start of the game,” explained Svensson. “The second half was better, we will have a lot of fun with him.”

Robin Gosens plays with Florence Conference League

Even without Gosens, who had practiced standard situations with his teammates before the game, Union achieved a well-deserved victory in the tough match against the promoted team, which Benedict Hollerbach secured with the goal of the day in the 34th minute. “We have four points after two games. That’s a good start for us. Others don’t have them yet,” said the striker.

However, there was also a bit of luck involved after a limited performance. Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow thwarted a great chance for the visitors in injury time, otherwise Union’s day would have been ruined. “We could definitely be more dominant, we could definitely be better,” admitted Hollerbach. “If we concede another goal here, then it certainly wasn’t a good game.”

Gosens’ departure, however, overshadowed many things, including the previously announced arrival of Andrej Ilic. The 24-year-old Serbian is coming on loan from French first division club OSC Lille for this season and is expected to score goals. “You don’t normally get players with that quality,” said Heldt about the 1.89 meter tall center forward, who was injured for a long time. “This is an opportunity for him, but also for us.”

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Meanwhile, Gosens is looking for his chance on the international stage again. In Florence, which reached the group stage of the Conference League on Thursday, the tears could quickly dry again. (aw/dpa)