Union Berlin Humiliated 0-5 by Cologne in DFB-Pokal

1. FC Union Berlin suffered a humiliating cup exit on 28 October 2026, losing 0:5 to 1. FC Cologne in the DFB-Pokal. Union started reasonably in the first half, going in 0:1 down at the break, but after Cologne's second goal the team, in coach Mauro Lustrinelli's words, completely lost the thread. Cologne's Saïd El Mala scored two of the five goals and set up a third. Captain Rani Khedira described the second-half display as a "Systemabsturz" — a total system crash — and said the squad owed the fans an apology. The 32-year-old added that Union had been on the right track in recent weeks and did not want to treat the defeat as a major setback. The 50-year-old Swiss coach echoed that view, calling it a stumble rather than a crisis, and promised a reaction. Union have an immediate chance to make amends: Cologne visit for a Bundesliga fixture the following Sunday, and Khedira stressed the team must do everything better and neutralise the threat of El Mala.