Likes to present himself in a training jacket: Hertha President Kay Bernstein Image: picture alliance/dpa
Former ultra fan Kay Bernstein talks about his actions as president of Hertha BSC, parallels between professional football and the climate crisis, and the “cautionary tale” his club should be.
Kay Bernstein, how relieved were you when the news came that Hertha BSC was getting the license?
Relieved is the wrong word. Satisfied might be better. It was a feeling of validation. We knew what the German Football League was asking for, and we submitted it. We were pretty sure that there would be no other result than: We get the license.
An important point was the now successful extension of a bond for 40 million euros, which would have been due this year. Another is the cooperation with the new shareholder “777 Partners” against the background of the 50+1 rule, which limits the influence of investors in German professional football. The private investment company from the USA holds 64.7 percent of Hertha BSC’s professional department, but not the majority of the voting shares. How big is American influence?
