The crisis-ridden Bundesliga relegated Hertha BSC does not come to rest. It cracks during the day – and now also at night. As the Picture reported, the goalkeeper Marius Gersbeck, 28, recently signed by Karlsruher SC, was escorted by the village police from the team hotel to the local police station on Sunday at the edge of the Hertha training camp in Zell am See, Austria, and interrogated there. A Hertha spokeswoman confirmed that “the police are investigating against one of our players”, but refrained from providing further details, citing the ongoing investigation. The Salzburg State Police Headquarters, in turn, reported an incident in the “early hours” of Sunday, as a result of which a 22-year-old Austrian was injured by a 28-year-old German. No details were given about the nature and severity of the injuries. However, the victim had to go to the local hospital.
The motive was initially unclear on Sunday. The Picture according to the physical argument must have had its origins in an argument under the influence of alcohol in a restaurant that is said to have been visited by Gersbeck. He met friends from the Hertha ultra scene there. Gersbeck was a Hertha player from a young age and liked to be among the most radical Hertha supporters at home games – in the east stand. According to the police, the physical dispute itself took place on the open street.
The clarification of the affair is also interesting against the background of an employment law dispute between Hertha and the former managing director Fredi Bobic. He was also dismissed without notice because of the mere threat of physical violence (“If you ask again, you’ll get a scrub”). Bobic is defending himself against this in court. Hertha rated Bobic’s flippant remark – which was not followed by action – as behavior that was harmful to the club. Gersbeck was not in the squad for Sunday’s 0-1 friendly against Royal Antwerp.
Employees fear for jobs
The report on the goalkeeper interrogation overshadowed the headlines of the past few days. These revolved around safeguarding the interests of Hertha employees. In view of Hertha’s massive financial difficulties, they fear for their jobs. In this context, Hertha BSC rejected reports that the establishment of a works council had been torpedoed by management. It is “the good, constitutional basic right that employees, within the framework of their freedom of association, deal with the formation of a works council and examine their options,” said managing director Thomas E. Herrich on request.
The establishment of works councils in professional football companies is not exactly common practice, but it is not unusual in times of crisis. This kind of thing rarely runs smoothly, so the problems in Berlin are nothing too special. On the contrary: In Gelsenkirchen, people well remember that a number of years ago the establishment of the works council at FC Schalke 04 only succeeded at the second attempt. At the first attempt, a local union boss put the workers’ plan through to the club’s management – and thus thwarted: Schalke 1 – workers’ rights 0.
Rumors about the establishment of a Hertha works council have been circulating for some time, reports in Berlin BZ now that there was “trouble” about a letter of invitation from the Verdi union. “At least one letter of information about the upcoming works meeting” has “disappeared” from the walls of the office, which is why there was “irritation” among employees, the newspaper wrote.
Hertha has apparently reduced expenses drastically
Herrich explained that Verdi employees had actually posted an information letter in the office last Monday “on their own initiative and without coordination with the union and Hertha BSC”. Verdi apologized for this by email. Irrespective of this, however, they support “the formation of an opinion about the need for a works council in our workforce,” emphasized Herrich. Therefore, Verdi’s request to refer to the information and voting event planned for Tuesday on the intranet was “naturally” complied with. The employees were also informed via e-mail. Verdi could not be reached for the SZ at the weekend.
Herrich once again admitted that Hertha was going through “one of the biggest crises in the club’s history” and that “profound cuts” were “unfortunately inevitable”. In the past few weeks, however, expenses have already been drastically reduced, and the statement that “extensive job cuts are currently planned in our company,” said Herrich “inaccurately”. He did not give any more detailed information. In the past few weeks and months, Hertha had laid off a number of high-ranking employees, including former Bundesliga professionals Pablo Thiam (head of the youth academy) and Bobic. Thiam has also sued against his layoffs.