Hertha President Kay Bernstein was only 43 years old.

Shock in Berlin: Hertha President Bernstein is dead

Hertha BSC mourns the loss of its president. Kay Bernstein died suddenly, as the Berlin second division soccer team announced.

16 January 2024

From: dpa/sn

President Kay Bernstein of second division club Hertha BSC died unexpectedly at the age of 43. The Berliners announced this on Tuesday. “The entire club, its committees and employees are stunned and deeply dismayed. The Hertha family mourns with Kay's survivors and their thoughts are with his family, friends and companions during this difficult time," it said in a statement. The cause of death is suspected to be a heart attack.

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. It was supposed to be a new beginning for the crisis-hit club. His election was also a slap in the face for the Hertha establishment, some of which blatantly wanted to impose their opponent Steffel.

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. 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.