Contract will not be extended
©IMAGO
Midfield veteran Diego Demme (34) will leave Hertha BSC at the end of the season after two years. His expiring contract will not be extended. Demme confirmed this in a media round after the 1-0 defeat at 1. FC Magdeburg: “We have spoken, it’s over at Hertha.”
Demme came to Berlin from Naples on a free transfer in the summer of 2024 with great expectations, but was hardly able to demonstrate his leadership qualities. Two severe concussions with persistent dizziness forced him to take several long breaks.
“These two setbacks were crucial for my time here at Hertha. When I played, I was able to perform quite well. But the availability wasn’t the same as it was otherwise in my career, where I was always 90 percent fit,” said Demme, who appeared on the pitch 37 times for the Old Lady.
Coach Stefan Leitl sees it the same way: “In the last few weeks of last season we saw Diego Demme, who we would have liked to have had for two years, who stabilized and directed a game with his footballing class. Unfortunately, he was plagued by setbacks very often this year.”
Demme leaves the future after Hertha BSC open
Demme left it open as to what would happen next for him. “Let’s see if something interesting comes in by the summer. Otherwise it might be my last game in Bielefeld. That would be a well-rounded story,” said the midfielder who trained at Arminia. “But I still feel like playing somehow. Even after these two head injuries, which weren’t so great. I would like to stop differently.” There is said to have been interest from Italy from Serie B club Spezia Calcio in the winter.
First, Demme wants to say goodbye with two wins against Fürth and Bielefeld. “It’s about television money for the club, it’s about point bonuses for the players, we also play for the fans. That’s motivation enough,” he said. Hertha is in sixth place in the 2nd Bundesliga, three points behind Darmstadt and two points ahead of Kaiserslautern. Leitl added: “I’m happy for Diego that he has found his way back to the football field. I hope that he stays healthy and can play the last two games for Hertha.”
