Berlin (dpa) – After the 1: 4 derby bankruptcy against the neighboring club Union Berlin, the players of the Bundesliga soccer club Hertha BSC, which was threatened with relegation, were asked to take off their jerseys in front of their own fan curve. Some actors followed suit.
“It’s difficult to explain what was discussed with the fans. I’d rather not say that now. It was just a gesture to take off the jersey,” said Maximilian Mittelstädt on the Sky TV channel and added: “Whether it was humiliation has to do or not? I want to avoid a conflict now.”
Hertha’s sports director Fredi Bobic would not have followed the fans’ request: “I wouldn’t have done it. I wear the jersey with pride. Of course I understand the frustration that you lose the third derby in a row. It’s not fun for any of us . But we are also athletes.” It has nothing to do with confrontation.
After the bankruptcy, Hertha is in the penultimate place in the table. In the next few weeks it will be up against direct competitors FC Augsburg, VfB Stuttgart and Arminia Bielefeld. “I don’t see it that badly. The next opponents aren’t quite at Union Berlin’s level,” said Hertha coach Felix Magath.