Union’s captain Christopher Trimmel will continue his impressive journey at 1. FC Union Berlin with the extension of his contract, as the 37-year-old full-back celebrates his tenth anniversary with the club.
A decade in Berlin
Since moving from Rapid Wien to 1. FC Union Berlin in the summer of 2014, Christopher Trimmel established himself as a permanent fixture in the team.
His first season was already characterised not only by his defensive strength, but by his precision when crossing from the wing, and his ability to inspire decisive moments in attack. In the following seasons, Trimmel continued this trend, proving his versatility on the pitch.
“Trimmi” gradually developed into a key player in the team until, in the summer of 2018, he was finally given the captain’s armband, which he still holds today. He is particularly remembered for his important contribution to Union’s promotion to the Bundesliga at the end of the 2018/2019 season, and it was his corner kick that Marvin Friedrich headed in to make it 2-2 in the first leg of the relegation play-off against VfB Stuttgart, paving the way for Union’s historic success.
Trimmel continued to prove his class at the highest level after promotion. Having arrived in the Bundesliga, he put in consistently strong performances and played a key role in ensuring that 1. FC Union Berlin first kept their place in the Bundesliga and later, in 2020/21, qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League and then the UEFA Europa League in the following season.
He and his team-mates then went one better. At the end of the 2022/2023 season, Union qualified for the UEFA Europa Champions League for the first time.
Even after ten years, Christopher Trimmel remains a crucial part of the team and, with 332 games under his belt, is the current player with the most appearances for Union.
The views on the anniversary
“I’ve been part of the Union family for a decade now and together we’ve achieved more than I could ever have dreamed of,” said the captain, looking back on the last ten seasons. “I was firmly convinced that I would experience significant moments with Union. My time here was and is incredibly emotional and formative, both for the club and for me personally. I am very much looking forward to continuing to be here, experiencing the daily developments up close and making my contribution.”
Meanwhile, Oliver Ruhnert, Union’s director of men’s professional football, said this of the skipper. “Christopher has been an integral part of this club for many years and an identification figure for players and fans alike. His sporting achievements on the pitch and his humanity off the pitch speak for themselves. We are delighted to have laid the foundations for his future at Union.”