Steffel starts Hertha election campaign: Big goals and talking to Ultras

From BZ/dpa

Peace talks with the Ultras and international ambitions: One day after his candidacy for the vacant presidential post at Hertha BSC became known, Frank Steffel started the election campaign with big issues.

The CDU politician shares the longing of the Berlin Bundesliga club, which has been in crisis for a long time, to move into international business, which is also being propagated by investor Lars Windhorst.

“The term Big City Club has become a burden for me. But the Berliners have the dream that international sports will also be offered in an international city, as is the case with Alba, the polar bears, volleys or our foxes. Why shouldn’t that also be possible in football?” said the candidate Steffel proposed by the supervisory board on Tuesday of the German Press Agency. Local rivals Union Berlin, who will play in the Europa League next season, did not mention Steffel.

At the extraordinary general meeting of Hertha on June 26th in the City Cube, the successor to Werner Gegenbauer, who resigned on May 24th, will be elected. Long-time member of the Executive Committee Ingmar Pering and former Ultra and current entrepreneur Kay Bernstein have also positioned themselves as other candidates. The election of the Hertha members thus becomes a directional decision between the fractions of the club establishment and the fan groups.

In order to make the visions of the capital city club, which was threatened with relegation in the past two years, come true, Steffel, who has been president of the handball Bundesliga club Füchse Berlin for 17 years, wants to unite the broken club. “We need to calm down the club. Sporting success only comes when there is unity in the club. In the case of the foxes, Bob Hanning, Stefan Kretzschmar and I also argue internally, but the common goal and sporting success are above everything,” said Steffel.

Hertha fans are critical of Steffel

While the path was paved for the father of two children at official level, Steffel has to fight for approval from the fan base. In a speech in the Bundestag in 2017, the entrepreneur branded the groups of ultras, who were influential at Hertha, as violent criminals, which he was accused of on social networks after his candidacy. “In 2017 I probably didn’t differentiate enough in my speech about violence in the football stadiums. Of course, I’m willing to learn more and offer the Ultras every opportunity to talk and work together,” said Steffel.

Steffel wants to create a team spirit in the club that has not characterized the club in recent years. Especially in the last season, the club fabricated negative headlines outside of the sporting area: the dispute between the executive committee and investor Windhorst, storming fans on the training ground, supporters who asked the pros to take off their jerseys.

The coming president has delicate tasks ahead of him. Steffel’s goal: “I want to pool the opinions of 42,000 members and see myself as the president of the members. That was the case with the Foxes and it will be the case with Hertha!”