Hertha President Kay Bernstein has died. He achieved a lot in his short time at the helm of Hertha BSC. He stood for a Berlin way and fought to unite the fans behind the club’s flag.
How much energy can come from a football club was demonstrated on June 26, 2022 in the CityCube at the Berlin exhibition center. “Our club is called Hertha BSC, it will always be Hertha BSC,” echoed through the hall from hundreds of voices.
The chairman of the meeting had just announced the results of the election for the new club president at the extraordinary general meeting of the Bundesliga soccer club Hertha BSC. Kay Bernstein was the winner. A man who grew up in the East Curve was now at the helm of the club. And Hertha BSC stood back on the feet that support the club.
Hertha President Kay Bernstein died unexpectedly
Hertha President Kay Bernstein is dead. He died at the age of 43. The second division soccer team confirmed this on Tuesday afternoon. The entire club, its committees and employees are “stunned and deeply dismayed”.more
Bernstein’s goal was unity
Bernstein’s presidency began in one of the most turbulent phases in the club’s history. In the three years since Lars Windhorst invested in Hertha with big promises in 2019, seven coaches have been on the sidelines and long-time sports director Michael Preetz was replaced by Fredi Bobic.
Hardly a week went by without the club’s internal affairs being in the press. The focus was not on the well-being of the club, but rather on personal vanities. Bernstein already showed in his inaugural speech that he wanted to do it differently – and chose conciliatory words towards everyone who didn’t trust him to lead Hertha: “Let’s approach the people and talk to them. That’s what will matter,” said he to the applause of the fans.
For the values of the fan scene
Kay Bernstein stood for a modern Hertha that wants to represent all of Berlin. He was born on September 8, 1980 in the Ore Mountains in Saxony and then grew up in East Berlin. In 1998 he co-founded the Hertha Ultra group Harlekins. Later he was the lead singer in front of the Ostkurve and was involved in various fan initiatives. This time shaped his image of football, which he viewed primarily as a fans’ game. During his time as president, Berstein advocated the controlled burning of pyrotechnics and the 50+1 rule voted against investors in the German Football League twice.
His clear stance on fan interests earned him great respect, and not just from Hertha’s supporters. Fan scenes across Germany viewed Bernstein’s election and his work as a signal for a different kind of professional football, which could be less about money and more about values such as balanced competition, community and cohesion.
Great condolences after the death of Hertha President Bernstein
Hertha BSC mourns the loss of its club president. Kay Bernstein died unexpectedly at the age of 43. His death caused great consternation in German football and politics.more
Berlin way
But Bernstein’s work as president was much more than just symbolic. “Well-considered” He fired Fredi Bobic in January 2023 after a 2-0 derby defeat against Union and decided to replace him with Benjamin Weber and Zecke Neuendorf. Two men who in previous years had helped make Hertha’s youth academy one of the best in the country. The personnel decisions were intended to be part of a “Berlin Way” with which Hertha wanted to return to success.
Employees and young players from their own city should lead Hertha back up and help financially struggling club to stabilize. The fans were able to identify with this path so well that even relegation in the summer of 2023 and that Fears about the second division license did not lead to new unrest in the club. Before the season, Hertha sold more season tickets than ever before. 13 homegrown players traveled to the training camp.
Bernstein’s legacy will remain
Despite initially mixed performances in the league, the mood at Hertha remained positive in the first half of the season. “We experience a solidarity within the Hertha family that feels great and that makes experiences like the cup game against HSV possible,” tweeted Bernstein at the turn of the year, alluding to Hertha’s highlight win in the DFB Cup round of 16 against Hamburg.
The father of the family was largely responsible for this cohesion; in his year and a half as president, Hertha gained a total of around 10,000 new club members.
This legacy will remain with the capital city club, which will continue to face major challenges in the coming years. Bernstein would have liked to tackle projects such as financial restructuring, medium-term dealings with the new investor 777 Sports and a club-owned stadium and, of course, the return to the Bundesliga.
Kay Bernstein died at the age of 43. The entrepreneur leaves behind a wife and a daughter.
Broadcast: The Day, January 16, 2024, 7:15 p.m
