They quickly got the pitch storm “light” under control, after which the lavish and long Köpenick Europa League night finally began with beer and showers for the successful coach Urs Fischer on the pitch.

Lap of honour, singing and jumping with the fans, celebrating with the family - the pros of 1. FC Union enjoyed every moment after the greatest success in the club's history.

"Now you're standing there, you're fifth after 34 match days, I'm sorry that I haven't come up with a word that describes this situation," said Fischer, saying that the holidays from Sunday will do you good: "Then I'll have one too little time to understand what happened.” The team stormed in and showered Fischer with beer again, who then came up with a few words to classify it: “Madness, fantastic, extraordinary.”

"You have to enjoy that too," said goal scorer Grischa Prömel after his last game for the Berliners: "Let feelings out, let emotions run free, let yourself be carried by the fans and absorb everything that's still possible.

What Union exemplifies is very, very rare.” Especially because they had to tremble for a short time on Saturday.

The liberating goal to make it 3-2 (2-0) on the final day of the Bundesliga match against VfL Bochum came in the 88th minute.

With the sixth win in the last seven games, the promoted team from 2019 sensationally secured fifth place in the Bundesliga table, only FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are ahead of them.

"They have achieved something outstanding," said Bochum coach Thomas Reis towards Fischer and Union.

"You see Hertha, that's how it's done"

The fact that capital city rivals Hertha BSC also have to go into relegation after a dramatic final phase rounded off the day of joy for the many Iron fans.

"You see Hertha, that's how it's done," they sang.

Not to forget: With the two victories in the capital derby in addition to the success in the cup round of 16, Union also actually has its share of the aftermath for the rival from the west end.

Only the fans who didn't follow the rules and ran onto the pitch after the final whistle dampened the cheering for a moment.

"Please don't do that, please don't do that," said stadium spokesman and head of communications Christian Arbeit, asking them to stay behind the barriers.

When they were back where they should be, the squad cheered in front of a capacity crowd of 22,012 at the An der Alten Försterei stadium.

In his last game for Union, Prömel took the lead in the fifth minute.

"Today is my day" shot through his head.

When Taiwo Awoniyi made it 2-0 with a hand penalty before the break (19th minute), the decision seemed to have been made.

But Simon Zoller (55th) scored the goal after the break and Eduard Löwen (79th) even equalized.

The big tremors began and the view went permanently to Stuttgart, where Union pursuers 1. FC Köln ultimately even lost.

But then it was Awoniyi again (88') who scored and made everything clear.

The fans in front of the stands celebrated each player individually until it was the turn of the winner: Urs Fischer, Urs Fischer,” echoed through the stadium.

And the 56-year-old Swiss, who came to Berlin in 2018, rose with the team in 2019, finished eleventh with her in the first year in 2020 and had led her to the Conference League last year, then let the obligatory beer shower wash over him in a familiar, calm manner fare.

Improving the result of last season is madness, he had already emphasized before the last matchday.

But the real madness was yet to come, when thousands of fans almost lay at the feet of the players on the "Europe Balcony" of the forester's office.