Live in the ticker: The most important developments at the Hertha BSC general meeting

• Update, 12:46 p.m .: Chairman of the Supervisory Board criticizes communication with the Executive Committee

In an emotional speech, he Chair of the Supervisory Board Torsten-Jörn Klein talked about the past few months and the Communication with ex-president Gegenbauer criticized. Between January and May 2022 there were ten meetings of the supervisory board, “more than ever before in such a short period of time,” said Klein. “The board of directors is responsible for the club’s peace and ensures that the club is in a good position in public opinion. But that was not the case.”

Regarding the public differences of opinion between Windhorst and the Presidium, Klein said: “These Herthans who sit in this hall, not the Presidium or the committees, are the highest council of our association.” He gave insights into how the past few months have gone between the Supervisory Board, the Executive Committee and the strategic partner Tennor around Lars Windhorst. The public conflicts at Hertha BSC should stop, said Klein. He was confident that future work with the new Presidency would be more successful.

• Update, 12:15 p.m .: The date for the presidential election is set

The appointment for the Election of the Gegenbauer successor says: He should be at an extraordinary general meeting on June 26 (11 a.m.) be elected, Manske announced.

• Update, 12:10 p.m .: Manske is campaigning for unity

At his Bureau report has interim president Thorsten Manske campaigned for unity in the club. “You all, dear Herthaners, are important pillars of our association and ambassadors of our club,” he said to the members present to erupting applause. “We have to get much closer to the people in the region and in our city.”

The recent success in the relegation against Hamburger SV should not hide the fact that at Hertha in recent seasons “on and off the field” partly “didn’t do a good job” had been. Manske regretted that Impression of “backroom politics” in the club.

Then Manske spoke about his predecessor who left office: “Werner Gegenbauer showed great courage when he resigned at the beginning of the week to clear the way for a new start at Hertha. He deserves respect for that.” Manske thanked Gegenbauer for his many years of commitment – which was acknowledged by most members with applause and some with boos.

Manske also set the course for a new beginning of the relationship between club management and investors, which is considered complicated: “Mr. Windhorst, I’ll shake your hand and plead with you: let’s talk to each other, but not about each other.” Manske alluded to Windhorst’s public media criticism of the Hertha decision-makers.

“Let’s treat each other with trust and respect,” Manske said. He wanted to make this offer to him “today in front of the audience present”. “I wish, with my entire body in the club, that we will start a new era. The future must begin now, here and today.”

In any case, the “Big City Club” heard clear application tendencies in Manske’s speech on Twitter:

• Update, 11:55 a.m .: Around 2,500 members in exhibition hall 20

Here are the official numbers: 2,491 members are to the general meeting came – 2,385 of them are entitled to vote.

• Update, 11:43 a.m .: Windhorst between applause and whistles

Already before his actual speech, Lars Windhorst causes emotions in the exhibition hall. While the chairman of the meeting, Dirk Lentfer, reads out the individual items on the agenda and announces the investor’s request to speak (agenda item eleven), there is a bang among some of those present applause up, at the same time there is a piercing whistle concert audible. A few stretch middle finger up. The investor rises briefly from his seat in the front row, waves to the crowd, then sits down again.

• Update, 11:36 a.m .: Requests for dismissal brought forward

Agenda item 5a instead of 12: The Dismissal motions against members of the Executive Committee were after voting in the hall preferred.

• Update, 11:12 a.m .: Manske: “Treat each other with respect”

Acting President Thorsten Manske has it General Assembly with a short speech opened. “Let’s discuss the necessary decisions together today and base these decisions on the interests of Hertha BSC,” said Deputy President Werner Gegenbauer, who resigned at the beginning of the week, to the more than 2,000 members present. A (Freudian?) slip of the tongue caused loud laughter in the hall: “Let’s be disrespectful – sorry – respectful of each other today.”

• Update, 11:05 a.m .: Windhorst is in the front row

Lars Windhorst has arrived and will probably actually speak to the supporters at the general meeting. The million-dollar investor has just taken a seat in the first row at his first general meeting, accepting the greetings from the outgoing CFO Ingo Schiller and manager Fredi Bobic.

• Update, 11:03 a.m .: Fan poster against Windhorst

Some Hertha BSC fans expressed their protest against million-dollar investor Lars Windhorst before the general meeting began. In front of the exhibition hall they hung a huge banner with the words “Windhorst out!” on.

This poster had already been seen at previous home games in the Bundesliga in the east curve of the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The fans have now removed the previously associated part “Gegenbauer raus” after the resignation of Hertha President Werner Gegenbauer on Tuesday.

The eagerly awaited general meeting of Bundesliga soccer club Hertha BSC has been taking place on Sunday at 11 a.m. on the Berlin exhibition grounds under the radio tower. After the club’s sporting descent and the narrowly managed relegation, expressions of displeasure from the fans are expected. Motions to vote out were submitted against the entire Executive Committee, Club President Werner Gegenbauer has already resigned.

Investor Lars Windhorst will speak to the fans for the first time at the meeting. The entrepreneur has made 375 million euros available for Hertha over the past three years and hopes to have more influence on club politics in the future.

There is a detailed overview of the agenda here [herthabsc.com].

The association is apparently also to get a new chairman of the board (CEO). According to information from rbb on Saturday, the supervisory board agreed on this. This will fill the vacant position of Carsten Schmidt, who resigned from the post last October for personal reasons.

However, who will become the new CEO and thus the boss of manager Fredi Bobic will only be clarified after the general meeting of the association. As rbb learned, an internal candidate is preferred as the new CEO. The “pictureOn the other hand, reports that Robert Schäfer, an external candidate, is being discussed.

Broadcast: rbb UM6, May 29, 2022, 6 p.m