From BZ/dpa
Bochum’s late equalizer created facts: Hertha BSC has been relegated from the Bundesliga for the seventh time. A look into history.
For years, Hertha BSC has been in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga almost continuously – now the seventh departure from the top German division has been confirmed.
Only two clubs have been hit more often since the Bundesliga was founded in the 1963/1964 season: 1. FC Nuremberg (9 relegations) and Arminia Bielefeld (8 relegations).
Pal Dardai: hope and fear on the sidelines Photo: Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP
An overview of the Hertha descents:
► 1964/65: In terms of sport, Hertha comes in third from last. But after illegal hand money payments to players are uncovered, the club is downgraded to the regional league. The DFB control committee notes a shortfall of 192,000 marks.
► 1979/80: After a successful 1970s, the Berliners find themselves in the downward spiral. It’s going to be very close: Hertha is level on points with Bayer Uerdingen, but two missing goals mean relegation.
► 1982/83: Under the direction of Georg Gawliczek, Hertha returns to the Bundesliga after two years. A short interlude remains. As the bottom of the table, the capital club is relegated. With a big win against Cologne on the last match day, relegation would have been possible.
► 1990/91: The third relegation even follows the transition to the amateur league. The return to the top German division succeeds in 1990, but in a disastrous season in the first division, Hertha manages just three wins and is bottom of the table on almost every matchday. Between November 1990 and June 1991, four head coaches try their hand at Berlin, including a young Peter Neururer.
► 2009/10: In the previous season Hertha was still fighting for the championship, in the new season the former successful coach Lucien Favre has to go after seven games (one win, six defeats). His successor Friedhelm Funkel does not bring about a major change either. It’s a measly six points in the first half of the season. In the end too big a mortgage.
► 2011/12: Hertha made it into the relegation against Fortuna Düsseldorf under veteran coach Otto Rehhagel. The decisive game becomes a scandal game. 2:2 it is close to the end. The Berliners are still missing a goal to stay up. But the Fortuna fans think they hear a final whistle and storm the pitch. The game only resumed more than 20 minutes later. There is no more goal. A protest doesn’t change anything about the direct descent.
► 2022/2023: Lars Windhorst has invested more than 370 million euros in the club since 2019. But instead of Big City Club, there was a relegation battle. Slipping was narrowly avoided twice. But even rescue expert Pal Dardai could no longer prevent him this season. A late equalizer from VfL Bochum on Matchday 33 sealed Hertha’s departure from the first division.