Union Berlin’s President Dirk Zingler defended his commitment to former coach Nenad Bjelica, clarifying that he never gave a commitment of loyalty and differentiating it from a support commitment. He refuted previous media reports about the decision-making process and announced Marco Grote as the interim coach to prevent the team’s relegation to the 2. Bundesliga.
Speaking about a ‚misunderstanding‘ between a commitment of loyalty and a commitment of support, Zingler emphasized that he never promised unconditional loyalty, but rather provided support to Bjelica. He also refuted reports of premeditated decision-making, stating that the decision to replace Bjelica was made after thorough consideration of the team’s position and future prospects. Zingler announced that Marco Grote, the current assistant coach, will step in as the interim coach to steer the team through the challenging times and prevent relegation. Grote’s performance as interim coach will also be a factor in considering him for the position of head coach in the future.