Union Berlin postpones Olympiastadion move to 2028 over renovation delays and bureaucracy

Union Berlin will delay its move to the Olympiastadion until January 2028 due to renovation work and bureaucratic hurdles, President Dirk Zingler announced at the club’s membership meeting on Wednesday.
The original plan had the Bundesliga side relocating for one year, from summer 2027 to summer 2028, while its home ground, Stadion An der Alten Försterei, undergoes a major expansion. Zingler said the club must now play 1.5 seasons at the Olympiastadion, shared with Hertha BSC, starting with the 2028-29 campaign. The delay stems from regulatory restrictions, including a ban on tree felling at the construction site until November, he said.
Zingler criticized excessive bureaucracy, citing requirements such as building three replacement nests for every bird nest affected by the tree removal. “I’d rather hang 30 extra nest boxes than risk having 10 too few,” he said, adding that legal disputes could further delay the project and harm the club financially. The expansion, budgeted at €190 million, aims to nearly double the stadium’s capacity from 22,000 to 40,000, which Zingler called essential for the club’s competitiveness.
The president also noted Union Berlin’s current revenue per ticket is the lowest in the Bundesliga, due to the stadium’s limited seating and standing capacity .
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