Haberer pens new Union deal

The man who helped Union Berlin avoid the relegation playoffs on the final day of the season last year has been rewarded with a new contract. Thirty-year-old German midfielder Janik Haberer penned a new deal in Köpenick on Thursday morning. Terms of the new contract were not divulged. 

Since moving to the capital city on a free transfer from Freiburg in the summer of 2022, Haberer has demonstrated a knack for scoring clutch goals in important matches. Haberer scored the winner against his former club on match-day 34 last season.

All told, Haberer has scored seven goals in 80 competitive appearances for "die Eisernen" over the last two plus seasons. Highlights included a brace against Dortmund in a massive 2-0 win over Dortmund on match-day 10 of the 2022/23 campaign along with two stunning distance efforts against Schalke and Bremen in the same year. 

Haberer currently works mostly as a right-back in FCU head-coach Bo Svensson's system due to the fierce competition in midfield. He's earned starts in four league fixtures thus far. In his club-released statement, FCY managing director Horst Heldt praised the former Germany U21 international's adapatbailityin service to the team. 

“A player like Janik isan asset for every team and every coach," Heldt's statement noted, “His versatility makes him a valuable member of our team. With his experience, he supports his teammates and, with consistently good performances, sets an example.”

“After a turbulent season, we have grown even closer together as a team and as a club," the player himself noted, "and I want to continue to be a part of this positive development. I feel completely at home here and I'm convinced that Union is still the right club for me."