Now it’s getting very tight in the relegation battle! After the dismissal of manager Fredi Bobic (51), Hertha wanted to get several reinforcements. Only Tolga Cigerci (30) came…
Did President Kay Bernstein (42) fire manager Fredi Bobic (51) too soon?
BILD is definitely aware of eight cases (Hein, Philipp, Amallah, Verstergaard, Guilavogui, Bongonda, Cissé, Demirbay) in which the negotiations failed.
The Crazy: Two of them had long since been bagged by Bobic, but after he was kicked out, the transfers of attacker Maximilian Philipp (preferably went to Werder Bremen) and Gauthier Hein (Auxerre/he was even in Berlin for a medical check) fell through in the last Second.
The reaction afterwards: priceless! Goalkeeper with a cheeky unfair throw-in
Philipp stressed that the manager’s dismissal influenced his decision! He was also aware that things could “become restless” in Berlin…
Was Bobic fired too soon?
Bernstein in BILD: “As already emphasized, this was not a short-term decision, but a well-considered one. We in the committees were also aware of the timing of the decision.”
Fredi Bobic (left) and Kay Bernstein recently had a different view of things
The fact is: The committees threw out Bobic – at a meeting convened by Bernstein on Saturday evening after the derby defeat against Union (0: 2) – by unanimous vote to avoid his possible contract extension until 2026 (and the resulting increase in personnel costs) by later drawing a clause to prevent. However, there were still a few days left.
Bobic also had to go because the committees believed he would no longer want to get reinforcements in the relegation battle for Hertha. They probably knew nothing about the ongoing negotiations with Philipp and Hein…
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The timing of Bobic’s separation should also allow Hertha’s new sports director Benjamin Weber (42) (also with the help of the scouting network from the new possible investor 777) to get reinforcements in the last two days until the end of the transfer period.
Damn little time! Doesn’t work in the end!
Except for Cigerci, all negotiations and efforts ended in vain. Many players didn’t want to go to Hertha because of the unrest after the Bobic exit!
Another problem: Various consultants also puzzled over who would be the right contact person at Hertha after the Bobic exit. The role of Johannes Spors (Global Sports Director of all 777 clubs), who was repeatedly seen at Bernstein’s side during this transfer phase, also caused irritation.
Bernstein: “Since the announcement, Benny Weber has been our sporting director and the first point of contact for transfers. Likewise, Dirk Dufner was and is our squad planner, that is well known in the market. As our possible future partner, 777 was informed about our plans.”
Hertha sports director Benjamin Weber welcomes Hertha newcomer Tolga Cigerci
Now the transfer hype is over. Hopefully all misunderstandings have now been clarified and peace will finally return. This is necessary, because Weber and Zecke Neuendorf (director academy/licensed players) have a lot of work to do.
How does Weber rate the end of the transfer period?
Weber: “We agreed from the start that we only wanted to implement things that fit our financial framework and that we are 100 percent convinced of. With Tolga we now have someone who can help us immediately with his way of playing. He also knows Hertha BSC.”
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But is this squad enough for the rescue or would Hertha have wished for more reinforcements?
Weber: “Above all, we are convinced of the current squad. The boys have shown in most games this season that they work with passion and intensity. With this attitude and the corresponding further development, we will get the necessary points.”
Hertha still believes in staying up!
Weber further: “Now it’s about talks, unity and focusing on the sport. It’s about hard daily work. We tackle the tasks with full intensity and passion. The most important thing now is to concentrate on the situation and the task of working together to achieve the goal of staying up in the league. We have 16 very important games ahead of us.”
