By Roberto Lamprecht and Peter Dorr
On Monday, Hertha captain Marco Richter (25) took off from the capital in the direction of Mainz, where he completed his medical check-up at the university clinic on Tuesday.
Richter is to receive a four-year contract with Bundesliga club Mainz. Second division Hertha collects a transfer fee of almost three million euros.
It’s the next step in Hertha’s drastic austerity course! Richter came from Augsburg in 2021 for over 7 million transfers. The Berliners are selling Richter (market value: 5 million euros), who is not only captain and playmaker for the blue and whites, but also has a fixed transfer fee of 23 million in his contract, at a ridiculous price.
Memories of the departures of Lucas Tousart (for only 2.3 million plus a lookup to Union) and Krzysztof Piatek (free transfer to Istanbul Basaksehir) are awakened.
The game against Wehen Wiesbaden was Marco Richter’s last home game in a Hertha shirt Photo: City Press
Richter had a release clause of 23 million!
Why is that? Hertha has to get rid of its top earners in order to be able to continue paying salaries in the future! Richter earned 1.2 million euros in the 2nd division at Hertha – too much for the clammy capital city club!
Since saving is currently more important than sporting quality, it is therefore clear that the changes from Suat Serdar (1.8 million/year) to Hellas Verona and Dodi Lukebakio (1.7 million) to Seville will take place before September 1st will go. But especially the Richter departure (last season 6 goals and 5 assists) causes three new problems!
► Who will be the new Hertha captain?
Trainer Pal Dardai had given Richter the bandage so that he would feel more responsible and recognized and would therefore stay. Now he’s gone and they’re looking for a new boss. Currently only two options in the home game against Fürth seem conceivable.
Central defender Toni Leistner (33), who bravely bit his teeth with a broken nose in Hamburg until the final whistle, was recently called for by some supporters for the office. Second alternative: Peter Pekarik (36) – who this time could be preferred to Jonjoe Kenny as a right-back.
Drawn: Toni Leistner with a broken nose immediately after the game Photo: Ottmar Winter
► Who will replace Richter as playmaker?
For the playmaker position, only the two coach sons are currently in question: Bence Dardai (17/Richter’s previous deputy) or Palko Dardai (24). Palko played in this position in training on Tuesday. Brother Bence was absent because he played for Hertha’s U19s against Union on Wednesday.
The Dardai brothers in one picture: Palko, Bence (on the ball) and Marton (r.) Photo: City Press
► Who will replace Richter as playmaker?
For the playmaker position, only the two coach sons are currently in question: Bence Dardai (17/Richter’s previous deputy) or Palko Dardai (24). Palko played in this position in training on Tuesday. Brother Bence was absent because he played for Hertha’s U19s against Union on Wednesday.
► Who should generally judge bottom-of-the-table Hertha without a judge?
Despite the austerity measures, Hertha urgently needs several reinforcements in the offensive area. Zero goals after three games, the departure of playmaker Richter and the forthcoming changes from eighth Serdar and winger Lukebakio – the challenges for coach Pal Dardai (47) are increasing. The current squad does not offer an equivalent replacement. So only new players can fill the gap?
Richter, on the other hand, leaves many problems behind. Gladbach, Cologne and Augsburg were interested in him, but the attacking player chose Mainz.
Sports director Martin Schmidt (56) is said to have been a driving force, who absolutely values judges from their times together in Augsburg (where Schmidt was a trainer in 2019/20). Richter is now coming to a club with a lot of rest. In Berlin, on the other hand, it will be stormy.