The day after Fredi Bobic's surprising farewell as sports director at Hertha BSC, the club announced that the decision was "well thought out". Successor Benjamin Weber now has to become active shortly before the end of the transfer phase - because the traditional club is threatened with relegation.
As the new sports director at Hertha BSC, Benjamin Weber will take over the responsibilities of sports director Fredi Bobic, who has been released from his duties. This was announced by the troubled Bundesliga club in Berlin. As a squad planner, Dirk Dufner stays with the penultimate table. Weber is also supported by former Hertha professional Andreas Neuendorf.
"I didn't think I'd come back to my club so quickly," said Weber, who left the youth academy almost a year ago. Overall, the now 42-year-old had worked for the club in various positions for 18 years.
He switched off a bit after the time, but also sat in on a lot. "I found my way well again. It was like coming home," said Weber, not without pointing out the major challenges. "I'm dying to get started," said Weber, adding with a view to the end of the transfer window on Tuesday: "Of course, that's an issue to see what's possible."
Meanwhile, club president Kay Bernstein emphasized that coach Sandro Schwarz does not have to worry about his job after Bobic's separation: "I have given the coaching team our 100% support." Together with Schwarz, he also informed the players on Sunday morning. The announcement of the surprising personnel decision was sent by Hertha just a few hours after the renewed defeat in the capital derby against 1. FC Union Berlin (0: 2) on Saturday evening. Bobic was relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
The 51-year-old has only been with Hertha since the summer of 2021. It was not a knee-jerk reaction, not even out of panic, but "well thought out," said Bernstein. The decision was made regardless of the outcome of the derby. Due to the third defeat in the third game in the new year, Hertha remains second to last in the table with 14 points.
Markus Krösche, who took over Bobic's duties as sports director at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021, again criticized the decision. It was at least "the wrong time" and the decision "not expedient," said Krösche at Sport1. "You can do that at the end of the season or whatever, because this position doesn't have such a direct impact on what happens on the pitch," said Krösche. The 42-year-old also said with a view to Hertha's approach: "But ultimately those responsible have to decide. I don't know how and why this decision was made, but from the outside it doesn't seem understandable to me at all."
