Hertha BSC has practically been saved three times. But something always went wrong. This series culminated in the shock of Dortmund for the Berliners.
Now the team of coach Felix Magath continues in the relegation. The seventh descent from the Bundesliga must be prevented.
The drama:
And again only a few minutes were missing. Hertha BSC did the negative rescue hat-trick and missed out on relegation for the third time in a row. After the 1:1 in Bielefeld and the 1:2 against Mainz it got extra dramatic this time. Everything went according to plan. Ishak Belfodil (18th) scored the lead, the equalizer by Erling Haaland (68th) was annoying. But even the 1:2 by Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko in the 84th minute would have been tolerable.
But Stuttgart’s 2-1 winner against 1. FC Köln in the second minute of added time was a real blow to the neck. “The guys are totally exhausted and are sitting in the dressing room,” said managing director Fredi Bobic. “One or the other dropped their heads,” said coach Felix Magath.
The location:
Magath’s former club Hamburger SV will probably come to the Olympic Stadium for the first leg on Thursday. Darmstadt 98 or – rather unlikely – Werder Bremen are still candidates for the nerve games in the relegation. The second leg will take place on May 23 at the second division representative.
Magath immediately changed his tactics. After the provocative fatalism, which previously described relegation as inevitable, the 68-year-old is now focusing on optimism and praise. “Our team presented itself here in Dortmund as a Bundesliga team. That’s why I’m confident.” The processes are maintained. Today at 10 a.m. the usual regeneration training is scheduled.
The memory:
Ten years ago, Hertha saved themselves with a 3-1 win against Hoffenheim in the relegation. What followed was a sad spectacle. After the 1:2 in the first leg against Fortuna Düsseldorf, the second leg was overshadowed by constant interruptions. Both fan camps burned pyro flares, threw firecrackers. When the score was 2:2, the situation escalated in injury time with a rush from Düsseldorf fans. Referee Wolfgang Stark declared the game over and was attacked by angry Hertha players. There were objections and negotiations before the DFB courts. The Hertha relegation remained. Hertha’s Lewan Kobiashvili received the record penalty of more than seven months.
The question of power:
Due to the relegation, the conflict between President Werner Gegenbauer and investor Lars Windhorst continues to smolder. Both parties have sworn to silence until the sporting decision is made. It is now rumored that Gegenbauer is giving up the top post anyway in order to forestall Windhorst being forced to vote out on May 29 at the general meeting. In the event of relegation, his standing would deteriorate even further. Windhorst is not his only opponent. The entrepreneur and ex-ultra Kay Bernstein is positioning himself more and more clearly with his voting campaign against the Hertha boss.
Source: dpa
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