“With a realistic look…”
Hertha’s lack of money forces the club boss to break his word
08/04/2023, 7:45 p.m
Hertha BSC urgently needs money and that gets the club boss, who once started with ambitious goals, in trouble. Kay Bernstein is now breaking his word for a new partner.
Hertha BSC started the current second division season last week with a bare chest, now a new shirt sponsor has been found – the commitment causes trouble. And the president has to justify breaking his word by referring to the bad financial situation of the club. Because the money – it is reported that there is an annual commitment of two million euros – will come from “CrazyBuzzer”, a sports betting provider.
President Kay Bernstein, a former Ultra and campaigning with a long list of demands for a moral foundation for the club, had previously ruled out that this would happen. In a “Sponsoring Codex” campaigner Bernstein postulated last spring: “Basically, all sponsorships must be checked for ethics and future viability. The excuse ‘But we need the money!’ is not worthy of a club like Hertha BSC.” Specifically, it’s about rejecting “the dirty sports betting coal”. Now the Realpolitik has struck, Hertha BSC is still financially up to its neck. And bills can also be paid with “dirty coal”.
Then Bernstein spoke up again, just a few hours after the club announced the deal with the new partner: “As president, the balancing act between fan idealism and real politics is a constant part of everyday work,” Bernstein wrote in one Explanation. “I am of course aware that in this case there is a contradiction to the vision paper of the ‘Wir Herthaner’ initiative from spring 2022.”
Part of the value framework will be built later
The balancing act became necessary because another candidate for the premium advertising space had apparently dropped out at short notice. In an interview with t-online.de, the 42-year-old warned in 2022: “We turn on Sky, DAZN or Amazon and we can’t get past this topic. My point is to say: do we need this money? We should don’t throw the fans into the hands of the betting mafia.” After weighing up all the information, Bernsteine has now agreed to “the contract that is very important to us”. As part of the licensing process for sports betting providers, Crazybuzzer has met all the necessary requirements for the protection of minors and for combating gambling addiction. In addition, it was agreed in the joint talks on the “special sense of responsibility.”
Part of the association’s value framework can then be built up stably “when we become economically fully capable of acting again. Our committees and all employees will continue to fight for this with full commitment.” The contract with “CrazyBuzzer” should initially run for a year. Due to a funding gap of around 60 million euros, Hertha BSC even had to worry about the license for the second division after being relegated from the Bundesliga. Accordingly, the deal also provides an audible sigh of relief in the club. “The cooperation with CrazyBuzzer represents an important step for Hertha BSC”, managing director Thomas E. Herrich is quoted in a statement. Thank you “CrazyBuzzer for the valuable support.”