Danger of relegation after Derby bankruptcy
Hertha BSC throws sports director Bobic out
01/28/2023 8:06 p.m
The Bundesliga club Hertha BSC, threatened with relegation, has released its Managing Director Sport Fredi Bobic from his duties with immediate effect. The Berliners announce this a few hours after the defeat in the city derby against Union. The decision was unanimous.
Hertha BSC is sinking into personnel chaos again. Fredi Bobic has lost his job as sports director since Saturday evening – the strong man in the club has to go. The decision was made when many of the fans of the Bundesliga soccer team, which was already in serious trouble in terms of sport, were still on their way home after the 2-0 defeat in the capital derby against 1. FC Union.
The club summarized the separation from Bobic in three lines. “The Executive Committee of Hertha BSC, together with the Supervisory Board of Hertha BSC e.V., have unanimously decided to release its Managing Director Sport, Fredi Bobic, from his duties with immediate effect.” For the time being, there was no more information about the surprising decision. In a press conference this Sunday at 1 p.m., Hertha wants to comment. A media round with trainer Sandro Schwarz was scheduled for two hours earlier in the morning.
The extent to which the coach’s position has been further weakened in view of the unchecked sporting misery remained open at first. Despite the fifth consecutive defeat against the rivals from the east of the city, who are now clearly dominant in Berlin, the separation from Bobic seems like a short-sighted action. There was no immediate reaction from Bobic, who had given TV interviews after the 2-0 loss in the Olympic Stadium, nor from President Kay Bernstein. His last tweet until the evening was a photo together with Bobic and professional Maximilian Mittelstädt for his contract extension on January 18th. “A strong sign – WE Herthaner together for a successful blue and white future!”
Bobic’s sporting future is no longer blue and white. The 1996 European champion had repeatedly emphasized how satisfied he was in Berlin. Also because he had been traded at the German Football Association as the successor to director Oliver Bierhoff. He has a demanding job at Hertha – and fun too. “I only think of Hertha BSC, I live in the here and now. The boys, the coaching team – I’ve grown fond of them,” said Bobic at the time.
Professionals stand behind coach Schwarz
The 51-year-old was hired as managing director of the capital city club in April 2021 for the 2021/22 season. Great hopes were placed in the successor of long-time manager Michael Preetz to lead the club from the West End to where it sees itself: up. At Eintracht Frankfurt Bobic had done that. In Berlin, however, there were no sporting advances.
In last season’s relegation battle, Bobic even brought Felix Magath out of the coaching retirement. It worked, Hertha didn’t get relegated because the Berliners prevailed in the relegation against Magath’s former club Hamburger SV.
They promised improvement from black – especially Bobic. The hopes were not fulfilled when looking at the table. After the weak start to the year with defeats at VfL Bochum (1:3), against VfL Wolfsburg (0:5) and against Union, Hertha is only 17th in the table. 14 points from 18 games – far too little. And that in a phase in which Hertha is involved in a share sale deal with a US private equity company. The business relationship with financier Lars Windhorst, which also repeatedly caused discord and ridicule, ended with a lot of noise. The new investor is in the starting blocks and, like the team, should be watching the events with the greatest attention.
Trainer Schwarz can – even without Bobic – be sure of the support of his pros. “We also have a lot of trust in the coach,” said captain Marco Richter after the derby defeat against Union. “It’s no secret that he’s a great fit for us. He’s just as lacking in points as we are.” The “common path” will “hopefully” continue. Together is now but ever without Bobic.