President Kay Bernstein of second division soccer team Hertha BSC died unexpectedly at the age of just 43. The club has now announced this. “The entire club, its committees and employees are stunned and deeply dismayed. The Hertha family mourns with Kay’s survivors and is thinking of his family, friends and companions during this difficult time,” it said in a statement. The club also asked that “the family’s privacy be respected after this terrible event.” Nothing was initially known about the circumstances.
German football reacted with great sadness. “We were shocked and deeply shocked to hear the news of Kay Bernstein’s death,” wrote the German Football League on X, formerly Twitter. Numerous clubs also expressed their condolences on social networks.
There was also a lot of sympathy from politicians. “I am deeply saddened by the sudden death of Kay Bernstein,” wrote Green Party leader Omid Nouripour on succeeded in uniting fans and club again. My thoughts are with his family and friends in these difficult hours.”
Bernstein was once the lead singer of the club in the Ostkurve and was also socially involved with 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 became the successor to Werner Gegenbauer, who had led the club for a long time. His election was also seen as a slap in the face for the Hertha establishment, some of which blatantly wanted to push through their opponent, Frank Steffel.
“The news of Kay Bernstein’s death completely shocked me,” Steffel wrote to X shortly after the terrible news became known. He is now president of Füchse Berlin. “In numerous encounters and conversations, I learned to appreciate him as a warm person. That’s how I will remember him fondly.”
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 became clear not only with his omnipresent Hertha training jacket, which he usually wore. “So much would have been possible on this path, but it has now gone, and far too soon,” wrote Energie Cottbus.
The death is a big shock for Hertha. In the 2nd Bundesliga, the capital club is in seventh place after 17 match days. On Sunday, coach Pal Dardai’s team will play the first game of the year against Fortuna Düsseldorf in their Olympic Stadium.
Note: This text has been updated.
