After just ten competitive matches in charge, Jürgen Klinsmann has resigned as Hertha Berlin manager. The west Berlin club confirmed on February 11 that the German’s decision is effective immediately. The resignation comes as a shock despite a disastrous week for Hertha Berlin. It began with Klinsmann’s side losing at Schalke after giving up a two-goal lead in the final ten minutes. This heartbreaking midweek DFB-Pokal loss was followed by Saturday’s home Bundesliga defeat to 15th place Mainz. With Hertha now truly embroiled in a relegation battle, Klinsmann argued that he did not have “the trust of the people involved,” and therefore decided to resign.
Jürgen Klinsmann Resigns From Hertha Berlin Role
Klinsmann’s Statement
In a statement released by Klinsmann on his Facebook page, the German legend argued that during his first months as Hertha Berlin manager in November, the squad was “on a very good path.” He is right. When Klinsmann took over from Ante Čović, the squad had lost four Bundesliga matches in a row. Despite losing his first game in charge at home to Borussia Dortmund, Hertha Berlin then finished the Hinrunde with some surprisingly good results. This included a draw at Eintracht Frankfurt, a home win over SC Freiburg and a victory at Bayer Leverkusen. The Hinrunde ended with a home draw against title contenders Borussia Mönchengladbach.
With eight points from five matches, there were murmurings that Klinsmann might be the right man for the job. The former Bayern Munich and US Mens’ National Team manager then began making grandiose claims about Hertha Berlin’s future. “I’ve always said that Berlin deserves a super club. This is our capital. Berlin and Germany deserve it,” Klinsmann confidently stated. Such claims have become commonplace after German businessman Lars Windhorst invested more than €100 million into Hertha Berlin last summer. In January, Klinsmann then began to spend like a super club. Lucas Tousart, Krzysztof Piątek, Santiago Ascacíbar, and Matheus Cunha were all brought in for more than $80 million.
One Bad Week in Football Can Change Everything
Although Hertha’s Rückrunde began with a 4-0 loss in Berlin to Bayern, Klinsmann’s men took all three points in Wolfsburg the following week. The spoils were then shared with Schalke n the Olympiastadion. January signings Ascacíbar and Piątek both played, with the latter almost grabbing the winner. Things were looking up for Klinsmann until the final ten minutes against Schalke in the cup. The following loss at home to Mainz would subsequently be the German’s final match in charge.
Klinsmann’s resignation comes at a very inopportune moment for Hertha, but the German argued that it is for the best. “As head coach, I also need the trust of the people involved in this task, which has not yet been completed. Unity, cohesion and focus on the essentials are the most important elements in a relegation battle. If they are not guaranteed, I cannot exploit my potential as a trainer and therefore cannot live up to my responsibility. Therefore, after much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion to resign as Hertha manager and retire to my original long-term role as a member of the supervisory board,” Klinsmann said in his statement.
A Replacement for Jürgen Klinsmann is Yet to Be Announced
Although Klinsmann has resigned as Hertha Berlin Manager, the club are yet to announce a replacement. Former manager and club legend Pál Dárdai is always an option. Niko Kovač, another former Hertha player and Berlin native, would be a fan favorite as well. Whoever it is, Hertha Berlin are real relegation candidates. If a manager cannot organize the defence and instil what Klinsmann stated he could not: trust, unity, cohesion and focus on the essentials, then Hertha could find itself in the second tier next year.
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