Pal Dardai was not ashamed of his tears. The Hertha BSC coach stood arm in arm with his players in front of the east curve. United in mourning with the fans of the Berlin second division football team for Kay Bernstein.
“We are human beings. You can show tears. You actually have to. It has to come out,” said the head coach after the 2:2 (2:1) against Fortuna Düsseldorf, which ultimately only provided the sporting framework for a memorable memorial ceremony for the on Hertha President Bernstein died unexpectedly on Tuesday at the age of 43.
“The thing really hurts, but you can’t swallow it. Because then we have real problems,” said Dardai on Sky. A little later in the press conference, the Hungarian summarized the emotional football Sunday. “I think he’s immortal because of that. Because Kay was a person who never asked what was good for him, he always asked what was good for Hertha. That’s painful for us because he was a tangible person. He was with us “That’s why there is this great respect,” said Dardai about the overwhelming sympathy far beyond the borders of the capital.
Silent greeting from the goal scorer
Haris Tabakovic had already chosen the right path after his goal. Quickly to the substitute bench. There the striker held up the black T-shirt with the print “We Herthaners in deep mourning” and then raised a finger to the sky. It was a silent greeting from the goalscorer. The only possible greeting and the only possible gesture after a moving funeral service in and in front of the huge concrete bowl.
After Tabakovic (30th minute), Derry Scherhant (45th minute) scored for Hertha, but also Isak Bergmann Johannesson (44th minute) and Christos Tzolis (50th minute/foul penalty) for Düsseldorf. Tzolis (56th) took another penalty next to the goal. The fact that the game ended 2:2 (2:1) was still just the statistical continuation of an emotional, cold football Sunday in the Olympic Stadium, which had been turned into a place of remembrance.
“You go into the game and think you’re prepared for everything. And then you hear the stadium announcer and you just get goosebumps,” said Hertha captain Toni Leistner on Sky. “But I still think the team accepted it really well.”
Ten games without defeat
The pure numbers show that Hertha is now unbeaten for ten games in a row, but is not moving up in the promotion race for a direct return to the Bundesliga and is still five points behind its rival Düsseldorf.
It was also unclear for Dardai, who had organized a psychologist, how the team would react after days of sadness and emotions and after a pre-game that was completely out of the ordinary with a funeral march of 7,000 fans, Christian devotions and contemplative music actual football rituals.
His team reacted stably in front of 42,209 spectators and controlled the game. None of the teams took any risks. Fortuna held back as decently as their own fans had silently supported the worthy setting of the Bernstein memorial.
When Scherhant’s counterattack threatened to fizzle out, the ball came to Tabakovic, who smashed it into the goal at a speed of 105 kilometers per hour. The cheering was a liberation. Shortly after the center forward hit the post (42nd), Fortuna had their first chance to equalize with Bergmann Johannesson’s long-range shot. But Scherhant didn’t want to leave it like that. His powerful shot to take the lead again from a similar position to Tabakovic was one kilometer per hour faster.
Düsseldorf shed its noble reserve. Equalized with Tzoli’s penalty goal. And after Marc Oliver Kempf’s second penalty foul, they could have almost taken the lead with a curious doublet. Now the guests were clearly the better team. The Hertha ultras, to whom Bernstein once gave rhythm and voice as a lead singer in his eventful football life, were silent the entire game. Bernstein’s presidential seat in the main stand featured his signature blue and white club jacket, megaphone and white roses. After the final whistle, when Dardai was standing in the corner with the players, the Hertha anthem was played in a gentle classical version.
Magdeburg overtakes Wehen Wiesbaden
Meanwhile, Tatsuya Ito shot 1. FC Magdeburg to victory at the start of the second half of the season. The Japanese substitute scored against SV Wehen Wiesbaden after 80 minutes to make it 1-0 (0-0) and in front of 22,582 spectators ensured that the Magdeburgers overtook the guests in the table. Wehen Wiesbaden played the final minutes outnumbered after Amar Cadiz was shown a yellow-red card in the 84th minute. Magdeburg is now six points ahead of the relegation relegation place, Wehen Wiesbaden is five.
Fürth climbs to fourth place
SpVgg Greuther Fürth found their way back to success and improved to fourth place. After two draws before the winter break, coach Alexander Zorniger’s team managed a 1-0 (1-0) win against their previous table neighbors SC Paderborn. Thanks to Armindo Sieb’s goal (33rd minute) in front of 10,975 spectators in the Home Deluxe Arena, the relegation place is still within reach, only two points behind Hamburger SV. In contrast, East Westphalia’s successful streak came to an end with three wins. That cost them the chance to overtake Greuther Fürth.
