At Hertha you could at least take a deep breath after a difficult few months. Finally a win again. But the power struggle between investor Lars Windhorst and President Werner Gegenbauer is raging publicly. What’s behind it? Who wants to achieve what?
In the midst of the Bundesliga relegation battle, Hertha affords a smear comedy: Investor Lars Windhorst (45) against President Werner Gegenbauer (71). This duel between two entrepreneurs who are successful in different ways in the business world is highly explosive.
Windhorst sees his investment of 375 million euros, which is unique in Bundesliga history, as burned and calls for Gegenbauer to be overthrown.
He blames its presidency for mismanagement and cliques. The showdown should come at the latest at the general meeting of the Berliners in May – these are the most important questions and answers about the power struggle.
Why does Windhorst attack Hertha boss Gegenbauer so massively?
Windhorst affirms his love for Hertha and Berlin. But in what feels like every second sentence he talks about his “investment”.
Of course, the entrepreneur has to keep an eye on his money and that of the investors who trusted him with the big football project. The 45-year-old’s disappointment is evident that, contrary to the expectations of Gegenbauer and his followers, he was not involved in operational decisions. “I was counting on the fact that you can pull together with the leadership and the president, even despite the 50+1 rule. That hasn’t worked so far,” he said during his frontal attack on BILD-TV.
He watched helplessly as some of his money was used for purposes other than what he had envisioned for the Big City project’s sporting boom. Under Gegenbauer’s leadership, which is associated with stagnation and mediocrity, 375 million was not enough for a sporting upswing.
What is it about Windhorst’s “Klüngelei” allegations?
Windhorst’s allegations have not yet been specified. But there are apparently fundamental differences in mentality between the club’s policy, which has been cultivated for years with Gegenbauer as club boss since 2008, and Windhorst’s glamor ideas. “It is now high time that we turn things around. I am counting on the positive effects of a restart and we need this restart at the top too,” said Windhorst.
Gegenbauers Holding also runs businesses that affect everyday life at Hertha. The company Penta, which belongs to the Gegenbauer Group, carries out green and lawn care in the Olympic Stadium. Gegenbauer Services GmbH is responsible for cleaning the stadium that Hertha rents for its games. Both “services were officially advertised”, as the Olympiastadion GmbH announced on request. Hertha does not comment on business relationships.
What is Gegenbauer’s strategy in the power struggle?
Gegenbauer has had headwind from the Hertha members for a long time. Only 54 percent voted for him in the last election. On the one hand, he now relies on de-escalation and does not react in detail to the serious allegations.
At the same time, Axel Kruse, a Hertha icon from the Gegenbauer camp, publicly complains about Windhorst and denigrates him as “stupid”. Much depends on the athletic performance. If the rescue is successful with coach Felix Magath, Gegenbauer’s position will be a little more solid again in May. The suggestion that he then “actually comment on the course and environment of the investment at Hertha BSC” implies that he has arguments against Windhorst up his sleeve.
What happened to the Windhorst millions?
Windhorst complains that he doesn’t know for sure himself. It is certain that three-digit million sums went into the less than successful transfers in the great shopping winter of 2019. Money was also used for Corona holes and for debt repayment. The latter in particular rankles Windhorst immensely. Critics accuse him of being involved in committees such as the Hertha Advisory Board. He may appoint four members to the Supervisory Board. The appointments of Jürgen Klinsmann and Jens Lehmann as representatives there proved to be an unfortunate choice.
Can Windhorst withdraw his money again?
Of course, Windhorst could sell his shares of around 66 percent in Hertha KGaA again if he found a buyer. But he would not be able to realize 375 million euros for that. The loss would be on the books. The Big City Club would have done for him as a prestige and profiling project.
also read
►Investor Windhorst demands the fall of the Hertha President!
►”Limit exceeded” – Now there is a risk of a break between Hertha and the investor
What would a Windhorst exit mean for Hertha?
It is unclear what say Hertha would have in the sale of the shares. A new investor would also have to abide by the rules of the game of 50+1, so would have no official say in operational decisions.
For Hertha it is of course important who can give the club fresh money and what (football) values they stand for. Windhorst had said several times in the past that his investment at Hertha had reached the “point of no return”, so leaving was not an issue for him. He also promised new money that would certainly help Hertha, but not under Gegenbauer’s leadership.
Why doesn’t Windhorst want to become president himself?
Windhorst is at home all over the world. He is often in Switzerland and London. He also sends greetings from the Côte d’Azur on business. During his vacation in the Caribbean, he posed with his friend Michael Douglas. This life is hardly compatible with the management of a club that is very locally based even in the capital.
It is therefore not in Windhorst’s interest to throw himself into the club’s committee work in this form. This is also how his call is to be understood, the critical members should themselves position a potent candidate.