Despite the entry of a new investor, Hertha trainer Sandro Schwarz only wants to concentrate on the sporting aspects of his work at the Berlin Bundesliga club.
“I have a lot of respect for my coaching team, for my staff, for my team because, of course, it’s no secret, we have one or the other issue off the field,” said Schwarz after the 1-1 draw against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday. A few hours earlier, the Berliners had announced their cooperation with the American company 777 Partners, which is taking over Lars Windhorst’s shares.
Schwarz responded sarcastically to the question of how he had perceived the public fuss over the past few days about the pending deal. “Recent days? Okay, okay,” said the 44-year-old and laughed – that should probably mean that the fuss has been around for as long as Schwarz has been the Berlin coach, since last summer, and actually even longer.
The Hertha coach praised those around him at the club for hiding these quarrels. “But how we are focused on performance, on content, that’s why I have a basic trust in my boys, how they deal with it. We don’t make it an issue, we concentrate on what we can influence,” assured Schwarz.
Hertha BSC: How many millions does the new investor deal bring?
He wants to keep this focus for the last ten games of the season in the close relegation battle. “That’s in the dressing room, that’s how we get together, that’s performance on the training ground, preparing yourself so that you always have the opportunity to win games at the weekend,” said Schwarz.
For Hertha, the deal with 777 Partners is still a turning point. The new collaboration is to be presented to the public on Monday (2:00 p.m.). The Berliners have not yet published any figures. According to media reports, an amount in the double-digit millions should flow quickly, and a total of 100 million euros could be invested within the next two years. The investor’s shares in Hertha KGaA would rise from the almost 65 percent that Windhorst had once acquired for around 375 million euros to 75 percent.
Many fans apparently continue to see investor deals critically. Before kick-off on Saturday, a large banner was unfurled that read: “Loss of control for quick money – 50+1 only on paper?!”