Gosens' “disservice”: Transfer Was Right, “even If The Situation Was Absolutely Shit”

On deadline day from Union to Florence

Robin Gosens surprisingly moved from Union Berlin back to Italy to join AC Florence at the last minute. The 30-year-old left-footer spoke self-critically in the podcast “Copa TS” about his deadline-day transfer, the dynamics of which caused astonishment among the Iron Ones. “I was completely in shock,” revealed Gosens (quoted via “Berliner Zeitung”).

“Until ten past four, I assumed that Robin would be on the pitch and playing today. Then the news came and then we implemented it,” Union’s sporting director Horst Heldt emphasized before the Bundesliga match against FC St. Pauli (1:0) on August 30th on “DAZN” and described the timing of the move as “suboptimal”. The winger in question, who moved away from Köpenick for personal reasons, now said: “The team knows what they have in me. So it was an absolute disservice and I was aware of that.”

Gosens was initially loaned to Fiorentina for a fee of €500,000. After that, there will be an obligation to buy for €7.5 million if the club qualifies for the European Cup. “Even though the situation was absolutely shit, I knew it was the right thing for me and my family. That’s why I agreed.” The veteran still has a contract with Union until 2028, but a return is considered unlikely. He only moved from Inter Milan to the German capital in 2023 for the club’s record transfer fee of €13 million. If the clause comes into effect in Italy, he will also be the second most expensive departure in the future.

Gosens said he “loved the boys” at Union and the Alte Försterei “more than anything”. “It comes across as someone who only thinks about their own ass, but I was still very concerned about my team. I didn’t want to let them down, I didn’t want to leave them alone, even if that’s what people out there might think.” In response to his departure, the Irons signed the clubless Robert Skov (28) after deadline day, who was under contract with TSG Hoffenheim until the summer.

Gosens had a great start at his new club: just two days after his lightning departure from Köpenick, the left-wing player was in the starting eleven for AC Florence in the match against AC Monza and immediately became a key player. With a header from a corner, he secured a point for his new team in the sixth minute of injury time (2:2). He was then named Player of the Match. “The first time,” wrote Gosens on Instagram alongside pictures of his goal celebration. He also posted a purple heart to match Fiorentina.