Status: 16.01.2024, 13:10 PM
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Hertha's president Kay Bernstein is in the stands ahead of a game. © Soeren Stache/dpa
Hertha BSC mourns the loss of its club president. Kay Bernstein died suddenly, as the Berlin second division football team announced.
Berlin - President Kay Bernstein of second division football club Hertha BSC has died unexpectedly at the age of 43. This was announced by the Berliners on Tuesday. "The entire association, its committees and employees are stunned and deeply dismayed. The Hertha family mourns with Kay's surviving relatives and is in thoughts with his family, friends and companions at this difficult time," it said in a statement. At the same time, the club asked to "respect the privacy of the family after this terrible event". Initially, nothing was known about the circumstances.
Bernstein was once the lead singer of the club in the Ostkurve and was also socially involved at Hertha. At the general meeting on June 26, 2022, he was surprisingly elected president against the favored CDU politician Frank Steffel and another competitor. He succeeded Werner Gegenbauer, who had led the club for a long time. His election was also a slap in the face for the Hertha establishment, which in parts blatantly wanted to push through its opponent Frank Steffel.
An ex-ultra at the helm of a club that was still playing in the Bundesliga at the time was a novelty. Bernstein always addressed problems clearly. He made the club and the office more approachable again. This was not only evident with his ubiquitous Hertha training jacket, which he wore most of the time.
Hertha was shocked by the death. In the 2nd Bundesliga, the capital club is in seventh place after 17 matchdays. On Sunday, coach Pal Dardai's team will play their first game of the year against Fortuna Düsseldorf at the Olympic Stadium. Dpa