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From the Ultras Fans to the New President: The Mad Story of the Hertha Berlin Fan | Israel today

2022-06-29T13:14:29.150Z


He grew up in the stands and heads a successful PR company • But even Kai Bernstein's story could not be written by even the greatest screenwriter • Is it every fan's dream or rather a nightmare?


Kai Bernstein has fulfilled what seems to be every football fan's wet dream.

From the man in the stands who encourages the team and is sure he knows better than anyone what she needs, he has become the strongest man in the team and the one who actually decides.

Bernstein became one when he was elected this week by club members as the new president of Hertha Berlin from the Bundesliga.

The 41-year-old PR manager, one of the founders and members of the Ultras group Harlekins Berlin '98 and the one who had confidence in the megaphone at the top of the podium, received 54% of the vote and was ahead of former Bundestag legislator Frank Stepel.

For the first time in the history of German football, a member of the Ultras organization will head the Bundesliga club.

"HA HO HE" Bernstein tweeted immediately after being selected for the encouragement call that now accompanies all of his tweets and has previously accompanied him in the stands;

"That's the reality! Thank you Herta people for the trust, it's a great honor for me. I promise to do everything to win your trust."

In terms of joining a club, it is doubtful that there is anyone more connected to Hertha Berlin than Bernstein.

A tour of the PR office he owned revealed a painting of a Berlin bear smeared on the wall, above it the caption "Original Berlin" and along the entire central wall spray-painted with graffiti at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, 1892 and a blue and white flag hovering above. Very time "he said in one of the articles that tried to paint the profile of the new owner. His resume reinforces this announcement.

Herta Berlin fans.

Will they continue with pyrotechnics ?, Photo: Getty Images

Bernstein, as mentioned, founded one of the Ultras organizations and headed it, when over the years he was punished three times and removed from the stadium due to conflicts with sponsors, etc.

In recent years Bernstein has become a successful businessman with many assets, replacing the Ultras stands with the venerable stands.

The initiatives that previously dealt with pyrotechnics and encouragement have been converted into initiatives of donation to needy fans.

He gained his power and status inside and outside the stands, and was thus elected the new president of the team.

The old president was 72-year-old Werner Gagenbauer, who has headed the club since 2008.

Throughout his years the team has failed to achieve significant accomplishments.

Twice it was relegated, the highest position was fourth in 2009 and in the Cup did not pass the quarter-final stage.

Even financial support of 375 million euros from 2019 onwards by investor Lars Windhurst did not help, and last season Herta survived relegation only thanks to a victory over Hamburg in the survival playoffs.

One of Hertha's big problems was the dismal relationship between Windhurst and Gagenbauer, when as far as the two fans were concerned they were equally responsible for the team's failure.

Last year, after a loss in the Union derby, the Ultras organization "Harlekins Berlin", founded by Bernstein, published an angry post in which he wrote: "This club is turning itself into a miserable joke."

Lars Windhurst.

Will he get along with the new president ?, Photo: Reuters

In the post in question, they first accused Weinhurst of being "motivated by personal considerations and only cared about his image" and then Gagnbauer "who never did anything positive for the team and for the city of Berlin".

In many home games the Ultras waved a sign that read "More Football - Less Business" so you can understand why they are so passionate about choosing Bernstein - one of their own.

"The club is in intensive care" the new president announced with his election and promised, "now it is possible to purify it from within and heal it."

Although he has no experience in running a football club, Bernstein approached the task with confidence and with a solid work plan.

First of all, he will set up an experienced team around him that will help him manage the team while maintaining the values ​​that are important to him and the fans.

One of them is full transparency, and to that end he proposed to broadcast all board meetings live on the Internet.

It is not certain that it will pass - yet in these meetings there is talk of procurement and wages, but Bernstein's direction is clear.

Regarding pyrotechnics, a very sensitive issue in Germany, the new president said "I think this is an outdated discussion and we need to find a responsible way to preserve it and at the same time maintain everyone's health".

The most important health of all, according to Bernstein, is in the relationship between him and the investor Weinhurst.

"I applied for the presidency after hearing Weinhurst talk about Gagenbauer and hoping for his downfall. I shook my head in astonishment that such a thing was happening at our club," Bernstein said.

Weinhorst's reaction to the election of the former head of the Ultras organization was "I'm going to talk openly and work collaboratively. It's worse than it could not be."

The football world is full of all kinds of presidents: former politicians, singers, businessmen, past players, sheikhs and what not?

Starting this week, there is also a football president who was the head of the Ultras organization, and this is a refreshing innovation that raises a lot of questions in Germany.

Will Herta now promote the culture of encouragement and pyrotechnics to new districts, will fans be given complete freedom to have their say and how will his choice Bernstein affect the construction of the new stadium and procurement policy?

Meanwhile, the new president is focusing on other things.

He wants to unite and fight, fix and recover, meet new coach Sandro Schwartz and plan for the future.

"My goal is to make the group a united and cohesive group and that Hertha Berlin will set an example of team spirit and cooperation," Bernstein declared.

As it turns out, his task is not simple and in the end we will know if this is really every football fan's dream, or maybe rather a nightmare piece.

Were we wrong?

Fixed!

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Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2022-06-29

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