Hertha BSC mourns the loss of its club president. Kay Bernstein died unexpectedly at the age of 43. His death caused great consternation in German football and politics.
The unexpected death of Hertha President Kay Bernstein has led to great sympathy in sports and politics.
Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday afternoon that he was “stunned and deeply shocked by the death of Kay Bernstein. At 43, he was in the middle of life.” Wegner acknowledged that Bernstein, as president of the second division soccer team, had succeeded in “uniting the fans and the club again. My thoughts are with his family and friends in these difficult hours.”
The SPD parliamentary group in the Berlin House of Representatives also highlighted Bernstein’s achievements. He made Hertha “more approachable and humane despite the difficult sporting times and brought many people closer again,” says a joint statement from parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh and sports policy spokesman Dennis Buchner. The family and fans mourn “a man with heart and attitude who, even as president, was first and foremost a football fan. Kay did a lot for his club and our city.”
Hertha President Kay Bernstein died unexpectedly
Hertha President Kay Bernstein is dead. He died at the age of 43. The second division soccer team confirmed this on Tuesday afternoon. The entire club, its committees and employees are “stunned and deeply dismayed”.more
Bernstein’s death shocked him deeply, said Werner Graf, the leader of the Green Party in the House of Representatives. “Kay gave Hertha a lot and brought a breath of fresh air into the club. He brought Hertha back to the Berlin path in difficult times. Out of the curve and into responsibility. He got involved and wasn’t afraid to initiate debates,” said Graf . For Bernstein, “the social responsibility that a club like Hertha BSC bears was never up for debate; on the contrary, he accepted it with great enthusiasm.”
Letter from Union President Dirk Zingler
1. FC Union also expressed its condolences. In a letter from the club published on its website (fc-union-berlin.de)Union President Dirk Zingler wrote that Bernstein had “already left a formative mark in his unfortunately far too short tenure at Hertha BSC. The terrible news of his death was also a shock for us Unioners, and we share Hertha’s pain and sadness -Family. We wish Hertha BSC strength and solidarity in these difficult times.”
The death of a loved one is a “painful and irreplaceable loss.” He asked Hertha’s vice president Fabian Drescher and managing director Thomas Herrich – the addressees of the letter – to send “our deepest sympathy to the Bernstein family and the people of Hertha.”
The man who united Hertha
Hertha President Kay Bernstein has died. He achieved a lot in his short time at the helm of Hertha BSC. He stood for a Berlin way and fought to unite the fans behind the club’s flag. By Till Oppermannmore
Many other clubs in the first and second leagues have already expressed their sadness. “FC Bayern is united in mourning with the entire football family around Kay Bernstein. Our thoughts are with the family, relatives, companions and his club Hertha BSC,” said President Herbert Hainer of FC Bayern Munich.
The German Football League wrote on
Former opponent Steffel “completely shocked”
At the general meeting on June 26, 2022, Bernstein was surprisingly elected president of the crisis-plagued capital city club against the favored CDU politician Frank Steffel and another competitor. “The news of Kay Bernstein’s death completely shocked me,” wrote former opponent Steffel, who is president of Füchse Berlin, shortly after the news broke on X: “In numerous encounters and conversations, I learned to appreciate him as a warm-hearted person. That’s how I’ll remember him fondly.”
“Kay was very communicative. He approached people. He tried to advance his cause. A blue and white heart, a Hertha heart, beat within him,” said Jörg Hans, vice president of the “Hertha BSC Fan Club”.
Olympic Stadium will shine blue and white
The Berlin Olympic Stadium was Kay Bernstein’s second home, whether as a Hertha fan or later as club president. “In honor of Kay Bernstein, the Berlin Olympic Stadium will shine in blue and white on Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., it was announced on X (formerly Twitter) that afternoon.
There is also a condolence book in the Hertha office that mourners can sign. Hertha head coach Pal Dardai and his wife were one of many who left farewell words for the late president on Tuesday.
Broadcast: The Day, January 16, 2024, 6 p.m
