Bernstein: “Hertha has brutally screwed up” – Still a DFB call about Bobic

Balance sheet after six months in office

Six months after taking office, President Kay Bernstein does not give the previous decision-makers at Hertha BSC a good hair. “Hertha took the second step before the first and got brutally wrong,” Bernstein said in the “Kicker” interview. “The club wanted too much too quickly – and returned to reality too late.” That damaged the “old lady” “sportingly, financially and in terms of perception”.

The 374 million euros from investor Lars Windhorst have mostly been used up, the club in the capital is facing uncertain times, both financially and sportingly. “We know that turning this legacy around is a mammoth task. But we have the strength to do it,” said Bernstein. When it comes to the consolidation plan, he calls for creativity and staying power. He doesn’t see any liquidity problems at the moment and the license is not in danger either, but: “One thing is clear: we have to tighten our belts without squeezing our breath.”

The former Hertha-Ultra Bernstein, who surprisingly prevailed in the election at the end of June against Frank Steffel, a businessman and politician with a strong network in Berlin, also reported better cooperation within the club. “It’s a process that’s not over yet. But we are well on the way to getting the poison out,” said the club boss. He felt a “greater togetherness”, they had “created a sense of togetherness and reunited the club”.

Hertha BSC: Bernstein about investor “777 Partners” & DFB interest in Bobic

Bernstein also reported on getting to know the possible new investor “777 Partners”, who could take over Windhorst’s 64.7 percent stake in Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA. “Both are interested in a partnership. And they both know what they’re getting themselves into. The talks in Miami and Berlin were harmonious, respectful and constructive,” said Bernstein, who emphasized the advantages of a potential deal: “We would get constant calm, additional sporting expertise and a large network on the investor side – and a partner who has grown organically economically and is positioned worldwide. For us it would be a step towards more calm, more internationalization and more know-how. I don’t find this combination that bad.”

About the reports that sports director Fredi Bobic is a top candidate to succeed Oliver Bierhoff as DFB director, he said: “To put it in perspective: we are moving in the area of ​​the hypothetical. Before such a personality gets contours, I assume that both Fredi and we as a club would get a few calls from Frankfurt/Main. And that didn’t exist until now.”

Should the interest become more concrete, he would not put any obstacles in the way of the 51-year-old. “I always take the position that travelers shouldn’t be held up. But again: Fredi Bobic is in a responsible position at Hertha BSC – and if I have my way, he will be there for quite a while.” Bobic himself recently said that he felt “very comfortable at Hertha”. The former centre-forward, who celebrated the EM victory with Germany in 1996, switched to Hertha in 2021 after successful work at Eintracht Frankfurt as sporting director. He has not yet been able to bring about a sporting upswing in the Berliners.

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