His signing is a double exclamation mark. With Tom Rothe (19), 1. FC Union has landed a real gem from BVB. The Irons are digging deep into their pockets for a teenager. At the same time, there is a big, iron elephant in the room in Köpenick because of the transfer: Is Rothe just the back-up for Robin Gosens or is he more?
After training, some of the 1. FC Union professionals still shoot at the goal voluntarily. Rothe is right in the middle of it, but not as a crosser, but as an executor. In the best striker style, he scores with a diving header. “I like to play offensively,” says Rothe with a broad grin in his first media round in Köpenick and names real world stars as his role models: Marcelo from Real Madrid or Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool FC. Rothe: “They play relaxed and tricky and have a lot of influence on the game. I think that’s really cool. I was able to learn a few things from them.”
Tom Rothe really wanted to join 1. FC Union
There’s no question that Union’s new 1.93-meter-tall man is confident. So much so that he is not afraid of competing with Robin Gosens (30). Rothe: “Competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When you have a player as experienced as Robin, it helps me. I can learn a lot from that. I also want to be competition for him and show that I’m there.”
Which: It would probably have been easier to get playing time in Dortmund than at 1. FC Union. At BVB, Ramy Bensebaini (29) is the top dog. At the Iron Ones, it is (still) Gosens.
Despite Gosens, it quickly became clear to Rothe that he definitely wanted to go to 1. FC Union: “I had good discussions with the coach. From the beginning, I had the feeling that the way he wanted to play football would be a good fit. I also like to be someone who runs up and down the left line and brings a lot of energy onto the pitch.”
Tom Rothe: Julian Ryerson raved about 1. FC Union
But it wasn’t just head coach Bo Svensson (45) who had a hand in it, but also former Union player Julian Ryerson (26, at BVB since January 2023): “He only told me good things about Union. And my first few days confirm that.”
More than a defender: Tom Rothe (19), like his competitor Robin Gosens, has a strong offensive urge. ZUMA Press Wire/imago
Rothe was therefore keen on joining 1. FC Union from the start – but was still on hold for a few weeks because Union manager Horst Heldt was playing poker with Borussia over the transfer fee. Rothe reveals: “It took a while. I tried to take it easy.”
1. FC Union Tom Rothe can return to BVB
Ultimately, the Iron Ones put five million euros on the table. A lot of money for a 19-year-old who played in the second division last season but made a huge impression at newly promoted Holstein Kiel (four goals, ten assists). Rothe himself says: “That’s quite a sum for my young age. But I’ll try to ignore it and will give it my all to repay the trust.”
Apropos: Part of the Rothe transfer is also a buy-back option. So the door at BVB is not completely closed yet. Rothe: “If things go so well here that Dortmund takes up the option, then I have nothing against it in principle. There are few better clubs with better fans. That’s why I’m just trying to give it my all, assert myself, play here.”
Rothe’s luck at 1. FC Union depends on Robin Gosens
But anyone who thinks that the blonde from Schleswig-Holstein is still mentally in Dortmund is very much mistaken. Rothe: “Union is simply a great club with tradition, where you want to play.”
Despite Rothe’s great potential, how often he will be able to play this season depends on Robin Gosens’ future plans… ■
