“I can’t think of anything better”

Sometimes, the beautiful game comes up with a moment that’s hard to put down to anything other than fate. Patrice Čović was born and raised in Berlin and took his first steps in the world of football at the academy of Hertha BSC. In May of last year, he was a part of the Werder team that won the 2024/25 U19 DFB-Pokal in Potsdam, just outside of his home city. The cup marked his most prestigious trophy to date, and he played a key role in the road to the championship, even scoring one of the two decisive goals in extra time in the final. It was quite some full-circle moment for the 18-year-old last night, as he capped off our 4-1 win away at 1. FC Union Berlin with his first Bundesliga goal.

His family were in the stands to witness the unforgettable moment in Čovic’s footballing journey. His father Ante, himself a former Bundesliga player and head coach, was wiping tears from his eyes. He was immeasurably proud to see his son reach such a huge milestone in his career to date. “Honestly, I can’t think of anything better than being here with my whole family,” grinned Čović, speaking in the mixed zone after the game. “I had a good feeling from the off today, and when I saw the ball hit the back of the net, my head was all over the place. But in the end, I’m even happier that we won as a team.”

The moment had that real feel-good factor, especially considering the youngster has had a tricky couple of weeks. Having been an unused substitute for the previous two fixtures, the Croatia youth international came off the bench with just eight minutes of normal time left to play in Berlin. It was a chance that he knew he simply needed to take. “I’m really ambitious, and I want to be out on the pitch for as long as possible,” said the debut goalscorer, who’s developed a fantastic relationship with head coach Daniel Thioune despite the lack of playing time. “I have to accept the situation, give my all in training and prove to the coach that it’s worth giving me more minutes come the weekend.”

He certainly made a good case for seeing more action with his goal at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. A former Hertha boy, who kept an eye on the Old Lady’s 13:30 CET kick-off earlier that day, it could hardly have been a more special place to open his Bundesliga account. “I have a lot to thank Hertha for – I watch all of their games and I hope they can secure promotion,” said Čović. “To score here at Union, then, is just an unbelievable feeling.”

Even just from watching his teammates’ reactions to the goal, it’s clear to see how special this moment was for the talented young winger. Mio Backhaus sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate with Čović, while both Captain Marco Friedl and Leonardo Bittencourt, who provided the assist for what was Werder’s fourth of the night, looked absolutely delighted to see the lad finally bag on his 12th Bundesliga appearance. Now the only question remaining is how the goalscorer himself will repay his teammates for their part in helping him reach this milestone: “I don't know yet. I hope I don't have to spend too much,” smiled Čović. “But I'm definitely happy to buy the lads a round.”